The Reason
by StevMarie
Summary: When Gajeel joins Fairytail Levy starts to think her life was going to end. As time passes, though, he seems to be there every time she's in trouble. When Team Shadow Gear stumbles upon some strange ruins in the middle of nowhere, Gajeel cautions them away. But why? And who's the man with Silver hair? Rated M for language, future smut, and violence/gore. GajeelxLevy, GaLe
1. Chapter 1

Levy sat quietly in the guildhall. Her joints ached as she stretched, testing her still-healing muscles. She'd still been having nightmares every night, waking up in a cold sweat that left her heart pounding as she distractedly tried to gather herself for the oncoming day. The circles under her eyes were becoming darker by the day as she tried to avoid sleep as much as possible. She'd be sleeping at the guild if this didn't let up, but fear is such a powerful thing and is the one thing the mind clings to the most.

"Good morning Levy!" Jet chimed happily, sauntering up to her with Droy following closely behind.

"You sleep any better?" Droy asked, leaning over to look at her face, taking in her tired eyes.

"Yeah, I slept great," she lied, forcing one of her happy-go-lucky smiles that always sent the two into fits. While they were busy gushing over how cute she was, she let her smile waver. She just felt so exhausted…

Suddenly the doors swung lazily open and the three turned to see who had just arrived.

Tall and clad in black with blazing red eyes that scorched you to the soul, he strode quietly into the guild, not turning to look at the hate-filled glares that met him. He walked past them and she stopped breathing as if the sound would alert him to her presence. He seemed to not even notice as he walked to the back of the guild where the master studied him silently.

"Makarov," he grunted, stopping in front of the small master.

"Gajeel Redfox," the Master regarded him peaceably as the guild collectively held their breath.

"I want to take you up on your offer. I want to join Fairy Tail,"

Levy didn't know words could bring the guild into such an uproar. Everyone was screaming and shouting their disapproval, making wild motions to the hall around them and even pointing to Levy herself. She desperately wanted to sink into her seat and disappear, terror clawing its way into her throat as she stared at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

He was stoic and didn't even look at the chaos around him as the protests continued. Completely unfazed, he crossed his arms and leaned against the beam as Makarov jumped up and silenced the angry guild with a swift motion of his arms.

"Do you doubt my judgment?!" he shouted, "Haven't some of you come here under objectionable circumstances in the past?"

"What about what he did to Team Shadow Gear?!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"Are you just going to forgive him for what he did to Levy?!" Jet shouted, visibly shaking from anger.

Levy hid in his shadow as Gajeel's eyes flashed their direction, meeting hers in his bloody gaze. She flitted out of sight behind her other two teammates, feeling as if her world were falling apart around her.

"I'm not forgiving him for what he's done to my children," Makarov rumbled, "But I believe that if there's good in someone it should be nurtured and cared for. Would you have me sit and watch as a troubled child wanders down the path of destruction?"

Levy felt numb, like she was having an out of body experience. This couldn't be happening. Master couldn't be redeeming the monster who'd plagued her dreams ever since the night he'd attacked her? He couldn't possibly be allowing him into the only place she'd always seen as safe. This was just another nightmare, another bad dream she had to wake up from.

She had to get out of there.

Quietly, she stood and turned away from Master and the Iron Mage, feeling their stares on her back as Makarov said something she couldn't bring herself to understand. She thought she heard Jet or Droy call for her to come back as she walked to the door. She felt like she was in a fog, grabbing the door and pulling it open mechanically.

This can't be happening.

_This can't be happening._

**_This can't be happening._**

She walked down the street, wrapping her arms around herself against the chilly wind. Had she brought a jacket to the guild this morning? Why did she forget it?

She felt a shadow passing over her as she walked, casting her glance up to the large branches of a tree she had grown to hate. She collapsed onto the ground as the memories came flooding back. The pain under her skin throbbed angrily and her breathing came faster.

She couldn't push it down.

He came out of the darkness so quietly it was as if he were a ghost. Jet and Droy had tried so hard to protect her, but they'd just come from a mission and all of them had been tired and looking forward to going home. Her two friends whom she'd tried to protect took Gajeel's hard blows and crumpled like paper. Then he'd turned his angry gaze to her, hitting her so hard in the stomach she'd lost her breath and curled into a pathetic little ball. _Pathetic_, he might have actually called her that. He'd kicked her onto her back and grabbed her hair, throwing her against the tree with her feet dangling in the air as if she were some ragdoll.

So fragile… why did she have to be so fragile?

"Oi," a gruff voice called her from her reverie, "You ok?"

Those eyes like molten lava seared into her flesh as he riveted her to the tree. He'd laughed at them, insulted them. Worse than the words and hits, he'd broken her. He'd found his way into her nightmares and plagued her every night. The first few nights she'd woken up in tears, unable to deal with the images that flashed through her head. She'd never been strong, but the type of helplessness that she'd been experiencing every night was just too much…

"Hey! Snap out of it, will ya?" a hand touched her shoulder, rough and calloused but also gentle.

She flinched away, hugging herself, "S-sorry… I just…"

"At least you're talkin'," he huffed, kneeling down beside her.

"S-sorry…" she whispered, staring at the ground. How pathetic could she be, really?

"Geeze, you ain't got nothin' to be sorry for,"

Suddenly, something registered. Her pupils dilated and she peeked through her hair to the figure beside her. She froze, desperately trying to pull herself together and steady her breathing which was quickly becoming even more frantic.

"Don't tell me you're freakin' out again…" Gajeel reached to put a hand on her shoulder and she scooted away.

"D-don't touch me," she whispered, pulling her hand up as if to protect her face, "I-I'm fine… just leave me alone,"

For just a moment, she thought she saw something flash in his eyes. Recognition was clear there, but something else came to his face… remorse? He furrowed his brows and looked up the hill to the guild and rose to his feet.

"You gonna be ok until someone comes?" he looked down at her again, but she was frozen again, disbelief mixing with her fear, "Of course not,"

With that, he turned back to the guild and walked a little more quickly to the doors. He didn't come back, but Jet and Droy found her a few short moments later and walked her home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey! I'm just adding a little excerpt to credit my sister for the image! She's an amazing artist and and literary enthusiast, so the fact that she actually read what I wrote and liked it enough to make fan art for it really touched my heart! She's L of The3Ss on if you wanna check her out! I love her to death!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Levy hid behind the tree as Jet and Droy stood under its branches, anger and determination making the air around them thick with malice.

"Guys… do you really have to do this?" she said quietly, watching the guildhall doors.

"Absolutely," Jet growled, cracking his knuckles as the doors opened and Gajeel made his way down towards them.

"What's the deal with callin' me out here? I was thinking about going out on a job," Gajeel said smoothly on his approach. He looked at them indifferently, as if he were bored with their presence.

"A job?" Jet snuffed.

"You're the one who destroyed the guild! You got no right to go on a job!" Droy barked, his fists shaking with anger.

"You guys sure are petty," Gajeel smirked, knowing exactly what to say to get under the two's skin.

"Stop it, you guys," Levy spoke up, still huddling behind the tree, "I-I don't hold any grudges at all…"

"This is how we settle things," Jet growled, getting ready to lunge at the Dragon Slayer, "You won't be feeling so smug for long,"

Gajeel just smirked, finding it funny that even Fairy Tail had some sort of _'initiation'_. When the two attacked he didn't dodge or fight back, taking the punches with gritted teeth. It was almost insulting to have to bear the weak attacks and he bit back against his desire to send the two mages flying. Then Jet landed a kick, a _good_ kick, and he slid backwards grunting against the pain it caused in his stomach. Maybe he'd underestimated the two guard dogs after all…

"You ain't giving the new guy a hard time, are ya?"

Jet and Droy stopped, looking back behind them in alarm as a large blonde mage approached. Gajeel immediately recognized the threat as he approached, feeling the much higher magical energy rolling off of him to saturate the air around them.

This might get serious.

"Laxus!" they exclaimed, looking at the mage in a mix of respect and worry.

"So…" he mused, staring down at Gajeel with a look of disdain, "this is the kid that did a number on my guild?"

Gajeel gritted his teeth against a retort. This had to be Makarov's boy.

"So, gramps let someone in to keep them from bustin' up the guild? You're the reason why people look down at us, you piece of shit!"

He felt static suddenly fill the air and then the blast, so powerful it sucked the air out of his lungs in a scream as every muscle in his body was forced to contort against his will. He didn't even have time to recover when another powerful hit was thrown at him, sending him flying onto his ass, his muscles protesting any semblance of movement as pain ricocheted off his nerves.

"Stop it, Laxus! You're going too far!"

Fuck, now even the fan boys were sticking up for him. That couldn't be good.

He was beginning to regret not fortifying himself against that first electric attack. He couldn't convince his body to move when Laxus was kicking him in the face. But hadn't that been his plan, to take the hits without even defending against them? But then he also hadn't thought the hits would put him in the infirmary for a week.

"That's enough Laxus!"

"You weaklings should stay out of this!"

Gajeel only looked up for a second when the situation suddenly shifted. Laxus' hand wasn't aimed for him, but for the blue-haired girl hiding behind the tree. Gajeel suddenly found the strength to move just as Laxus fired and he ran faster than he thought was possible. It was almost like an instinct, react first and think later. He turned his arm into a metal pole right as the lighting started to connect.

_'If he aims another shot I'll kill him…'_

"Gajeel!" the girl behind him, Levy, that was her name. Her voice pulled him back to reality and the pain hit him all at once. His arm was still twitching from the lighting that was dancing under his skin and his whole body was tired and throbbing. Damn, they'd got him good.

The Electric Mage regarded him coldly and Gajeel could almost see him reevaluating the situation.

"Are you satisfied?" Gajeel growled out, hating how much pain could be heard from his voice, "I got work to do,"

Her two lackeys were staring at him like he was some sort of hero and it pissed him off. He could tell by looking at the blonde that he was done, more than likely bored of the whole situation. Gajeel turned to leave, his strength draining. He wasn't going to break down with those four watching even if it meant crawling into a ditch somewhere to lick his wounds.

"U-um…"

"Leave me alone," Gajeel growled, not looking back at the bluenette and biting back the agitation he felt at hearing the concern in her voice.

He limped away, ignoring the looks he was getting from passersby. If he were still with Phantom Lord, he would have gone to the guild infirmary, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't get a warm welcome if he showed up. It would just be better if he went home.

If he made it there.

His knees buckled underneath him and he clung to a wall for support, hating the worried glances that were being shot his way. With all the strength he had left, he pulled himself into an alley and slumped onto the ground out of sight, letting his hair hang into his eyes and shield him from the light. This wasn't the first time he'd done something like this. When he'd first started with Phantom Lord there'd been days when he'd had to drag himself to dirty and murky places to rest after a bad fight.

He'd never dreamed those days would be back again…

"G-Gajeel?"

He didn't look up, just stared at the rivets on his boots, briefly wondering if it'd be worth it to rip them out and eat them. Wow, that was a disgusting thought.

"Gajeel, are you ok?"

"I thought I told ya to leave me alone," he growled, too tired to try and hide the pain and weakness in his rasp.

"You're hurt," she stated, walking up to him enough that he could glimpse her shoes, "Badly,"

"No wonder they call you a genius," he huffed, ignoring the twitching under his skin, "This ain't shit. I've been through worse."

"Let me help you," she said earnestly, reaching her hand down to him and holding it there, expecting him to grab it.

He stared at her for a moment, looking at her tiny hand before him. He turned away from her, clicking his teeth, "Tch, looking at me terrified you just a couple days ago," he growled, "I don't need your pity, fairy,"

She was stunned. Despite his rough voice and angry countenance, she could tell he was actually considering her feelings. She looked down at him in wonder and disbelief. Maybe he wasn't the heartless monster she thought he was…

"Fine then," she took back her hand and turned to sit next to him, "If you won't accept my help, I'll just stay here and annoy you until you're ready to get up. I'm not going to let you just sit here and sulk for the rest of the day,"

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" he growled, brushing his hair back and staring at the bricked wall across from him.

Having her sit next to him like this was strange. He could smell the fear and anxiety that he'd grown to recognize her with, along with the scent of old paper and dust. Sitting next to him this time, though, she seemed a little less on edge and the smell didn't sting his nose like it had when he'd found her huddled in the middle of the road on the first day he'd been pronounced a Fairy Tail member.

"I'm sorry, by the way," she said meekly, pulling him from his thoughts, "Jet and Droy… if they hadn't done what they'd did, Laxus wouldn't have bothered you. I'll talk with them, though, so they'll leave you alone from now on…"

"Eh?" he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, making her jump, "You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for. I have a feeling that Laxus kid would have found me either way. As for your little guard dogs, I don't mind them taking out their anger on me. I messed 'em up pretty bad."

She fell silent at that, looking away from him. She was biting her lip nervously and he could tell she was lost in her own thoughts. More than likely, she was reliving that night. He looked at her, wracking his brain for some way to distract her. At one time he had wanted people to have that image of him seared into their brains. Maybe he'd already been turned soft by the fairies, but for some reason he wanted to change the image she held of him.

Wincing at the soreness the movement brought, he lifted his hand and placed it on her head, an action that made her stiffen in surprise. He lightly ruffled her hair, looking down at her with a forced smirk.

"Try not to worry too much, Shorty," he shot her a fanged grin, meeting her large brown eyes, "I won't fight with your guild mates,"


	3. Chapter 3

He retracted his hand, watching as a light pink tinged her cheeks. They sat in silence for a moment, her enveloped in her own thoughts and him recovering from the damage Laxus had done. After a while he noticed it was starting to get dark and he glanced up at the sky to see it was overcast. He took in a deep breath, tasting the oncoming storm on his tongue.

"You should probably get home," he looked over at her, studying the way her blue hair ruffled in the slight breeze, "It's going to rain soon,"

"But… what about you?" concern shone bright in her eyes, "Can you walk?"

"I ain't scared of a little water," he huffed, still too stiff to move, "I like the fresh air anyway,"

She studied him, her brown eyes not missing a detail, "You can't walk… can you?"

"I don't need no help," he growled, glaring down at his legs. He didn't trust his muscles just yet, and for good reason. Laxus' lightning attacks had forced his muscles to expand and contract against his will and they were still twitching unnaturally. He was sure as soon as he stood up he'd just fall right back over. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't slept in the rain before.

"Where do you live?" she asked, looking up at the sky.

"I don't need no help, I said!"

"Oh hush," she clicked her teeth at him and stood, reaching her hand down to him, "It was my friends that hurt you, at least let me help you home,"

He glared at her hand for a moment, quickly realizing she was going to press the matter, "You ain't gonna leave me alone, are ya?"

"Nope," she smiled.

He let her help him up and then drape and arm around her shoulder. He knew she was struggling under his weight, being the tiny thing she was, but he couldn't really help it. After what seemed forever, they finally made it to a tiny apartment that he had recently made home. Numb and tired, he fumbled around for his keys before giving in to frustration and just kicking the door open.

She quickly helped him onto the overstuffed couch and hurried to the bathroom to try and find some bandages. While she was away he clumsily slid off his jacket and pulled off his shirt, throwing them both angrily onto the ground. Looking at his skin, he quickly started noticing large purple and green bruises starting to form. For the most part, though, they hadn't broken his skin so at least he didn't have to worry about changing bandages.

With twitching fingers he muddled through untying his boots and kicked them off into the middle of the floor, extremely fed up with the after-effects of shock treatment. He'd never met a magic that affected him so long after a fight, but then metal against lightning never worked out too well. With an angry growl, he pulled himself to his feet and made his way to the kitchen where he yanked open drawers and grabbed handfuls of iron. Not even bothering to make his way back to the couch, he slid to the floor and started stuffing his face.

"Gajeel?" Levy appeared in the doorway, bandages and wraps in hand, "What are you doing on the kitchen floor?"

"I'm hungry," he growled, throwing some half-rusted screws into his mouth.

She huffed exasperatedly at him and came to his side, kneeling down next to him to start wrapping a rather angry-looking bruise on his arm. He didn't wince to her touch but actually found it soothing. Her cool hands worked easily across his skin, gently touching his wounds and alleviating his pain. The smell of fear was gone from the air between them as she worked and he felt himself slowly begin to relax.

"Done," she smiled down at him, offering a hand for the third time that night.

"You don't do too bad of a job, Shrimp," he grunted, letting her help him up. He was still sore and was beginning to get a headache, but at least now his muscles moved under his command and he was no longer hungry. He looked at the windows to see it pouring down rain outside.

"I guess I should go home," she sighed.

"It's raining outside," he crossed his arms and stared down at her. She glanced over at the widows.

"I guess you were right about the rain. I'll be fine, though. I'm not scared of a little water," she smiled at him and started for the door.

"Oi," he stopped her, reaching out to grab her hand, "You can't be walkin' in that… why don't you wait a while and… I'll make you something to eat?"

"You're making me dinner?" she looked up at him with something similar to amazement, "A-are you sure?"

"Yeah," he released her arm, remembering the feel of her skin against his fingertips, "Make yourself at home, I guess,"

"Um… ok,"

He turned and went into the kitchen, making his way around to grab all the non-iron food he had. He quickly set himself to preparing some pasta and sausage. He wasn't the best chef in the world but he'd been cooking his own meals since as long as he could remember, so it was something. As he waited for the water to boil he snuck a glance to the living room where Levy was investigating. She was currently looking through his bookshelves, something that didn't really surprise him, though he was sure she wouldn't find anything too substantial…

"You have a book about Dragon Slayers?" she called pulling a large, dusty book off of the shelf and flipping it open.

"Yeah," he grunted, turning back to the stovetop.

"Why would you have a book about Dragon Slayers if you are one?" she giggled, finding the idea absurd.

"Because I was curious," he came back to the doorway and crossed his arms, leaning against the frame, "When Metalicana left I still had questions for him. Since I couldn't find a dragon, I figured the next best thing would be to do some research. I had a few more, but they were all destroyed along with Phantom Lord,"

"Destroyed?" Levy's eyes ran over the book with a tender expression. She looked genuinely sad at hearing about some books being burned. Such a strange little fairy…

Suddenly, she perked up and looked over at him, "I can find you some more, if you want. That's one thing I'm good at, is finding books."

"Thanks but no thanks. Everything I've ever had questions about is in there… and a few things I didn't have questions about," he watched her quietly as she flipped through some pages, her eyes quickly taking in the words on the pages. He could almost see her brain absorbing the information and he was sure if he asked her a question about what was in the pages she'd know immediately, "You wanna borrow it?"

Her eyes lit up and she looked up at him, a smile breaking across her features, "Really? You'll let me take it home?"

"S'long as you bring it back when you're done,"

"That's so great! Thank you!" she squealed, closing the book and hugging it to her chest cheerfully. He couldn't help a smile that came to his lips at seeing her so happy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning, Levy!" Jet and Droy chimed in unison as Levy skipped into the guild.

"Hey guys," she smiled back, "Want to go on a mission today?"

"Sure!"

It had been a few weeks since the day she'd bandaged Gajeel up in his house. The days had passed by in a blur with the parade and Laxus getting kicked out of the guild. It all almost seemed unreal. She hadn't seen much of the Iron Mage during the last few days. It seemed he was always out on missions and so he was never at the guild when she was.

"I saw one that was perfect, earlier today," she smiled at her two teammates, "It had to do with deciphering some cave runes,"

"I know what you're talking about," Jet piped, fiddling with his hair as they approached the board, "I think there's another one in the same area. Maybe we can grab them both?"

They scanned the board, grabbing the Cave Rune Flier and heading towards Mirajane.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure the other one was taken this morning," she murmured, writing their names and job down on her clipboard, "Maybe if you run into who took it and help them out, you could split the job?"

"Darn, if only we'd been earlier," Droy sighed as they walked towards the doors.

"At least we got the one," Levy smiled at the two, immediately getting their spirits back up, "And at least this way we'll be home before the day's over,"

"You're always so optimistic, Levy!" the two gushed.

A few short hours later they were in a small village called Shadowsage. Levy immediately fell in love with the almost gothic appearance of the place. Even the cottages had brilliant architecture and she was sure the place had a rich history. She made a mental note to visit the local library before they left.

The job didn't seem of a difficult sort and their employer immediately pointed them towards some slopes looming in the distance just south of the small town. It seemed there were many caves on the cliffs and several of them had once been home to an ancient people that had inhabited the area several hundred years ago. Their religion and culture was something of a mystery, and the aristocrat had recently become interested in the whole phenomenon. Whoever could decipher the glyphs in three marked caves, received a substantial reward… of approximately 4 million jewels.

"Wow, Levy, you seem pretty excited about this job," Droy smiled as she led the way up the sloping pathway towards the caves.

"It's an ancient culture no one knows anything about! How could I not be excited?" she hummed.

"Don't you think it's strange, though?" Jet sighed, looking into the surrounding forest, "That no one has even tried to investigate this place before? What if there are booby traps or something?"

"I doubt there will be booby traps after such a long time," Levy mused, "Most of them have probably been set off by now… well, whatever happens, I'm sure you guys will be able to help me out, right?"

"Of course, Levy!" the two chimed, immediately forgetting their previous worries.

After hiking for another hour, they came across the gaping entrance of one of the caves, mark with a red flag at the mouth. Using Levy's Solid Script to light the way, they made their way into the cave, quickly finding several tunnels branching out in different directions.

Levy quickly picked a spot and started making notes. Symbols covered the walls along with depictions of creatures and beings from the past. Her curiosity was peaked and she began eating through the words at a fast pace. Three hours, four tops, and she'd have the alphabet figured out. Before the sun set on the horizon she'd have the tunnels translated and they'd be ready to collect their reward.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jet and Droy's shuffling.

"Levy?"

"Mmh?" she muttered, trying to find her place from the intrusion.

"Is there anything you need us to do?" Jet sighed, already bored with waiting.

"Not really…" she sighed, keeping the agitation out of her voice, "Why don't you two go look around? Maybe you can find something out while I'm translating,"

"Ok!" the two sounded, relief at having something to do evident in their tone.

"Those two…" she murmured, setting her mind back to the task at hand.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been there when she finally finished, but she was sure it hadn't been more than two hours. She smiled happily down at the pages in her hands. She turned her head towards the depths of the cavern, watching the shadows expectantly for Jet and Droy to appear.

"Where have those two gotten off to?" she sighed, standing up and brushing dust off her skirt. Calling forth some more light, she walked deeper into the earth. Cool and damp caused gooseflesh to rise on her skin and she started to get an eerie feeling as she continued.

"Jet! Droy!" she called, listening to her voice echo off of the dank walls, "C'mon! We have to get going if we want to get done today!"

No response.

She strained her ears to catch any noises, but found none besides the hushed trickle of water against the stone. She sighed, continuing despite the uneasy feeling she was starting to get that made her heart start to crawl up to her throat. Her mind started to think about their conversation earlier about traps, which she quickly brushed from her thoughts. There was no way something like that could still be-

Her foot caught on something and she heard something spring loose from its perch. Her foot was pulled out from under her and she hit her head against the stone floor, causing the light of her spell to evaporate before she was hoisted into the air as a rock smashed against the ground. When she halted, her head was throbbing and adrenaline mixed with fear had her stomach in turns. A faint ringing in her ears made her nose curl as she winced, bringing her hands up to feel the spot where he head had hit the ground. She hissed as her fingers brushed past a sticky patch of hair and she could feel the hot liquid starting to seep over her scalp to drip to the ground.

"Solid Script, Light!" she voiced weakly, but her mind was too fuzzy to conjure the magic needed to finish the spell and she whimpered as darkness descended far too quickly around her once more.


	5. Chapter 5

'_Ok, Levy, use that big brain of yours…' _she chided herself, closing her eyes against her growing headache, _'Think of a way out of this…'_

Twice more she tried to cast spells but both times they fizzled just as they started to form. Angrily, the figured she must have a concussion, or else she should have been find to get herself down. She tried to pull herself up to grab the rope that was starting to burn against her skin, but she couldn't conjure the strength to reach it and inevitably it caused her head to throb harder until tears seeped past her eyelids.

"Dang it, guys!" she huffed, worry making her stomach turn into sick knots, "If anything happened to you, I'll…

Her body froze. Down one of the tunnels a light was flickering, small and dim in the distance. For a moment, she allowed herself a hopeful surge at the thought that it was Jet or Droy headed back to find her and help her down, but as the light approached she noticed the figure was clad in a dark cloak, something Jet and Droy hadn't donned when they'd headed out towards the caverns. As they got closer, she realized there was not just one person, but several, and their intentions seemed far from helpful…

"Do you think we'll find another one?"

"Didn't you hear the boulder fall earlier? Of course we will,"

"It's probably just an animal,"

"An animal would be too light,"

"You're getting too excited over this…"

Panic started to rise in Levy's chest. Had they found Jet and Droy? Was that why they were nowhere to be found? If they did, what did they do with them? What were they going to do with HER?

"Well… lookie what we've caught…"

A group of four men came upon her, all wicked smiles and gleaming eyes as they looked her up and down. Levy's color left her face as she realized how she was hanging and the clothing she had chosen to wear. She tried to pull her skirt tight around her thighs, but gravity wasn't working in her favor and her coordination was starting to suffer from the blood pooling in her head.

"What a pretty bird," one of them smiled, pacing around her with a hungry expression on his face. Levy noticed a scar running up the side of his face, cast in orange because of the torch.

"Yes indeed," the one with the light responded, a large grin spreading across his features, "And what do you suppose we should do with you, pretty bird?"

"P-please… I'm just looking for my f-friends…"

One of them snickered, the sound malicious as it echoed around them, "You don't suppose she means those two bumbling idiots we found earlier?"

"Jet? Droy? Are they ok?" she figured she wouldn't get an answer, but at least they were alive… weren't they?

"Oh they'll be fine, love," the one with the torch cooed, obviously the one in charge, "Better then you'll be, I'm sure…"

"Wha-?!"

She heard the sound of metal sliding out of a holster and then felt herself fall as they cut the line that held her. Her scream cut off in her throat when the man who'd been circling her earlier caught her and roughly dropped her onto the ground. She cried out and started to push herself up when one of them grabbed her wrists and pulled her back down.

"Let me go!" she screamed, glaring at the one holding her.

"Oh we will, pretty bird," the one with the torch hummed, the ravenous expression on his face making her veins turn to ice, "As soon as we've had a little fun first,"

"St-stop… Stop!" she tried to struggle away as the man with the scar straddled her, pulling up her skirt and grabbing her legs to pull them apart. He put pressure down on her thighs, making her let out a hiss at the pain it caused.

"Hold still, now," the leader crouched down next to her, grabbing her face with his hand and pulling it towards him, "and maybe it won't hurt as much,"

"Let her go," the deep voice cut through the darkness like a razor and the men froze. The leader squinted his eyes as he looked around them, not being able to make out the intruder.

"I ain't gonna ask again," the voice was angrier now, more malevolent, and Levy was sure she knew the voice but couldn't conjure up a face or name.

"You want us to let her go? Then show yourself, you coward," the leader growled, pulling a knife from his boot as he stood up.

"Your funeral,"

The feet were pulled out from under one of them, dragging them into the darkness where his scream cut off abruptly. Then another one was hit by something Levy couldn't quite glimpse and sent flying into the wall, their head cracking against the stone hard enough that blood started to pool around him.

"Sh-shit…" the guy holding her released her, edging backwards.

"Hold your ground," the leader growled, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back. He turned his searching eyes back to the darkness around them, "Come into the light, or are you scared to take us head on?!"

"I'm not going to follow the orders of some worthless bastard,"

She could hear what sounded like claws scrape across the surrounding rock face. Sparks flickered in the darkness as the rasping continued, silhouetting a tall dark figure coming ever closer to them, teeth glistening in the dim light. Levy didn't know which was worse, being at the mercy of the four men or having to deal with the stranger in the darkness.

Suddenly, a rock came flying at them, slamming into the leader and sending him sprawling onto the ground. The torch hit the floor, sending sparks skittering across the rock face and the light threatened to go out. She heard the remaining thug scream in terror and scramble back down the tunnel they'd come from.

"Geehee…"

"Gajeel?" Levy asked, incredulity clear in her voice as she pushed herself up, "What are you doing here?"

The iron mage appeared from the shadows, but his face didn't hold the smirk she was sure she'd find there. Instead, his red eyes glistened angrily in the dim light and he didn't even regard her as he approached. Instead, his eyes trained on the leader who was trying in vain to stand up.

"Gajeel?" Levy murmured, noticing a vindictiveness in his eyes that scared her.

He walked up to the man and put his heavy boot down on his chest.

"Yer name," Gajeel growled, his eyebrows furrowed in a livid scowl.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the man spat, grabbing his ankle to try to relieve the pressure on his ribcage.

"I like to know the names of the people I kill," Gajeel said in a low, cool tone as he leaned down to meet the man's eyes, "Makes it feel more… personal,"

Terror in its most raw form filled his eyes. Levy felt her blood run cold again. He wasn't serious, was he? Although if looks could kill, the guy would have long been dead by that point…

"Your name," Gajeel barked as the man started to shudder.

"A-Amon…" he stuttered, disbelief and fear clear on his face.

"Gajeel… don't…" Levy started but one look from his crimson eyes silenced her.

He was terrifying. His red eyes cold and filled with a bloodlust she hadn't even seen on the day he'd strung her on the tree… and he'd scared her _then_. His fangs glistened in the dank light as he looked back to the man trembling below him.

"Amon, what,"

"Amon… D-Delvan…" he whimpered, his breath becoming ragged as he stared death in the face.

"Well, Amon Delvan, it's a shame you didn't learn to keep your hands to yourself," Gajeel sneered.

"Gajeel… don't do it!" Levy gasped, her hands covering her mouth as his fist connected with the man's face. She closed her eyes and turned away, waiting to hear the sound of metal cutting flesh in a final blow…

"Calm down," his gruff voice cut through the tense air and she peeked open an eye at him. He was fixing the cuff of his jacket as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to look her way.

"What do you mean, calm down?!" she burst, tears coming to her eyes, "You just killed him! Like it was nothing!"

His eyes seared into her, making her suck in a quick breath and clutch her hands to her chest.

"They were going to _rape_ you, Levy!" he growled, his voice barely above a whisper but growing louder with each word, "Do you think I'd just let 'em walk away after they'd put their hands on you like that?!"

"Killing him wasn't the answer!" she yelled, tears falling freely from her eyes, "You just took his life like it was nothing to you!"

"That's because it was!" he growled.

She froze, her heart stopping in her chest. She'd known he was cold but… this?

"Are you fucking stupid, Levy?! Do you honestly think you're the only one they've done this kind of thing to? They're thugs from some dark guild hiding out in these caves because no one ever comes out here. Do you even _know _what they do for a living?!"

She was quiet, the words he was screaming at her barely registering to her clouded mind.

"They steal and kill for petty cash and then get their kicks from luring women back with them to take them and leave them like trash on the street, sometimes they beat them to death before they're done with them! Do you understand, Levy?! THEY WERE GOING TO DO THAT TO YOU!"

Shock, gentle and numb eased into her senses. Her eyes stared at him, large and unfocused as she desperately tried to comprehend what he was saying.

"Tch," she started as he turned his back to her and waved in some direction behind her, "Why don't you do yourself a favor and leave this place before something else happens to you. You're nothing but a piece of meat to a pack of wild dogs, here."

"B-but… Jet… and Droy…"

"I'll save your little fan boys," he growled, walking back into the darkness, "They'll be back by sunset,"

Levy sat in near darkness for a few minutes, shaking and wiping her eyes uselessly as she tried to calm down. Her mind was still trying to catch up with the events leading up to that moment and she almost felt like she was experiencing a nightmare.

She shook her head, steeling herself as she pushed herself shakily to her feet and walked over to where the torch lay, fizzling in and out as it tried to keep its light. Mechanically, she clasped her fingers around it and lifted it, causing to light to flare back to its former glory and cast an orange glow around her.

Her eyes turned to its owner who was lying almost as if he were in a deep sleep on the cold floor. Levy felt bile rise in her stomach at the thought that he wasn't actually sleeping, but dead and left to rot on the dusty floor. As she stared at him, she was sure he could have been breathing…

She blinked, staring at his chest. There was an extremely subtle rise and then fall, so faint it was almost unnoticeable… but it was there. He was alive.

Gajeel hadn't killed him.

Relief. Confusion. Anger.

What was going on?

She looked in the direction he'd left in, her mind reeling. Determination set in and she ran after him, resolute in finding some answers.

"Gajeel!" she called, "Gajeel wait-"

She slowed her pursuit as his form came into view of the firelight. He didn't turn as she approached, but continued as if she wasn't even there. His eyes glistened orange in the light as they pierced the darkness ahead, seeing things she couldn't with his heightened senses.

Like a predator…

"He's not dead," she said quietly, watching his face to gage his reaction, "You didn't kill him,"

"Aren't you the detective," he snuffed, his voice biting into her.

"Why didn't you say something?" she accused, putting a hand on her hip and standing her ground, "Why did you let me think you…"

She stopped, holding back the words she was about to say.

"Why did I let you think I was, what?" he cast a casual look back at her, his glare burning into her soul and rooting her in place, "A monster?"

She couldn't move, his intense gaze and harsh words leaving her unable to think or move.

"...I…"

"Because that's what I am, Levy," he growled, his eyes turning dark as he gazed upon her, "Or have you forgotten?"

He started walking again and she followed, but this time, without a word.


	6. Chapter 6

"Douse the torch," Gajeel's gruff voice pulled her from her thoughts, making her jump.

"But… why? We won't be able to see…"

He rolled his eyes at her and held his hand out, a gesture that took her by surprise.

"I'll see fine," he huffed, "Keep a hold of me so you don't get lost,"

"Oh… ok…" she grabbed a hold of his fingers tentatively. They were firm and strong but held her hand gently, squeezing it lightly as he smothered the flames under his boot. Darkness collided over them and she couldn't help closing the distance between them, taking refuge against his large form.

"You ok, Shorty?" his voice was unexpectedly gentle and it surprised her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his thick forearm for assurance. She couldn't help feeling that if she let go of him, her only lifeline, she'd be lost in the darkness forever.

She felt him start forward and she followed closely behind, not allowing the smell of iron to leave her nostrils. Before long, she could make out a shimmering light in the distance and she started to feel relieved, that is, until she felt Gajeel's muscles tighten like springs under his skin upon their approach. She started making out voices, jeering ones that were haughtily flouncing about in the light ahead.

"Let us go!" it was Jet's voice, and she could make out the strain in his tones enough to know he was in pain. She didn't even want to think about what had happened.

"I heard the guys talking about a trap being sprung down the way," a foreign, coarse voice leered, "Wouldn't happen to be a friend of yours, would it?"

"Shit…"

"Leave Levy alone!" Droy's anger-filled voice was like music to her ears.

"They're safe…" Levy whispered, elation and relief making her pulse quicken.

Gajeel slowed, then, and she felt him shift away from her, making her grip loosen on his arm, "If I leave you here, will you be alright while I get them out?"

His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke and she almost couldn't catch the words.

"Let me help you," she insisted, her fingers gripping his skin tightly, "I can do more fighting than just standing on the sidelines…"

"I ain't got time to argue with you, Shorty," he growled, easing her over to the side of the cave until her shoulder brushed it, "You'll just be in my way,"

"But Gajeel I-"

"Stay," he growled, and she could just barely make out his glistening eyes flashing red in the darkness.

When she made no move to follow him, he turned and charged, skin turning into armor as he ran in the direction of the voices. Levy huffed and started after him, unable to just stand by idly as he tried to be some sort of hero. '_Honestly, who does he think he is? They're my teammates!' _the thoughts ground angrily in her head.

"Solid Script," she murmured, feeling the magic pulse reluctantly forward and cause a similar throbbing in the back of her head from her concussion, "Light!"

White light, brilliant and blinding filled the area. She grimaced at the harshness of it. She hadn't intended it to be so bright but the bash on her head had made her concentration shoddy at best. Her eyes quickly tried to adjust and she found herself just a few yards away from a large cage and several disgruntled men who were guarding it. Her eyes widened in fear as all eyes in the area turned towards her… and actually, there were a lot of them…

Suddenly, a dark blur came at them, slashing and knocking people over with an animalistic ferocity. She immediately made out the shimmering outline of Gajeel and the furious scowl that had set across his features.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy chimed, joy on their faces at the sight of her, "You're ok!"

"Yes, yes," she shushed, running over to examine the poorly made cage.

"Levy," Jet gripped the bars, worry apparent on his features, "What happened to you? There's blood all over your hair and back…"

"I walked into a trap," her eyes were buzzing around the fixture, desperately trying to find a weak spot she could exploit, "Luckily, Gajeel found me and saved me,"

"Gajeel?" Jet's brows furrowed and he looked past her to the fighting Iron Mage, "What's he doing here?"

"Dunno," she conjured up some more magic, "Solid Script, To-ack!"

A hand grabbed her hair and yanked her away from the bars. The grip was strong and harsh and turned her around and she felt something cold and sharp press against her jugular. She winced as it cut into her skin and she stilled, her instincts instantly trying to pull her into a panic.

"Don't move or she get's it!" the voice was gruff but she could hear fear icing over his words.

"Dammit, Shorty," Gajeel growled and she peeked open her eyes to meet his fiery ones. His eyes took the two of them in and she could see him evaluating the situation with a tactical fervor, no doubt a trait he'd picked up from Phantom Lord.

Cautiously, he took a step towards them.

"I said don't move, dammit!" the knife pressed harder against her flesh and she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips. He stopped again.

"Get down on the ground!"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, his pride evident as he glared at the man behind her.

"Get down, I said!" the knife pressed further still, this time breaking her flesh enough for her to feel a sticky warmth begin to seep down her skin.

"Get down, Gajeel!" Jet yelled, his knuckles white on the bars and his eyes frantic. Levy couldn't help but feel ashamed. If she'd had just stayed back like she was told…

With painful slowness, Gajeel eased down to the ground, his eyes burning with the fire of a killer as he stared down her attacker. Something about his look had altered and he had suddenly turned feral, like a beast drawn by the scent of blood. He slid his hands to the ground as his iron scales dissipated from his skin, but the murderous look in his eyes lingered, and just the sight – even though it wasn't directed to her – chilled her to the bone.

Suddenly, a form leapt up from behind him and Levy could make out the glint of a blade as it plunged for his back. She couldn't even utter out a scream in time to warn him when the knife sank into the skin of his back to protrude from his shoulder.

One heart beat… two…

Gajeel's mouth suddenly twisted into a sadistic grin and he whipped his hand around to grab the offender by his face and throw him, in the way one would discard a piece of trash, with enough ferocity for him to hit the bars of Jet and Droy's prison and send him sliding to the ground in a heap of dead weight. Then casually, he reached back and removed the blade from his flesh, his red eyes skimming over it as his own blood dripped onto the floor. His eyes flashed back to her captor and she could feel him begin to shake.

"You know," Gajeel began, rising to his feet as a smug grin claimed his features, "that probably wasn't your best idea,"

The grip around Levy's neck loosened and she felt the man's hesitation to make a break for it or hold on to his only leverage. She could feel his breathing become ragged against her hair as fear rooted him in place, a feeling she had once known when those malicious red eyes had been turned to her. Now, she could only pity the man who had just brought about the Iron Dragon's wrath.

With a quick flick of the wrist, the blade sliced through the air and embedded itself into the man's arm, making him retract his hold on Levy. She fell forward in an attempt to get away before he could grab her again when suddenly she felt a strong arm wrap around her.

She blinked and looked up into the glistening red eyes of Gajeel Redfox.

"Gaaack!"

Gajeel grabbed the blade and pulled it back out, kicking the man in the gut as he did so and sending him tumbling to the ground, clutching his arm.

"Geehee," Gajeel sneered down at him, enjoyment seeping into his eyes at the sight of his enemy on the ground shaking with terror, "Stay,"

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry," Levy muttered as she clutched the back of her head in what she conceived to be true agony. All of the stress and fighting had made her head turn into a thundering storm that made her vision go red with each incapacitating throb. About halfway out of the caves, she'd been unable to take it anymore, which led to her current situation.<p>

Gajeel held her in his arms bridal style and was agitatedly carrying her out of the caverns with Jet and Droy in tow. The two had been appalled to the idea of Gajeel carrying her all the way back to town, but as each had injuries of their own, there had really been no choice in the matter. But Levy still felt awful because each time he adjusted her weight in his arms she could see the tenseness around his eyes, no doubt from the stab wound in his back.

"Yeah, well, if youda stayed put in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess, would we?" Gajeel growled, not meeting her gaze as he concentrated on the gravelly slope ahead of them.

"You know, Gajeel," Jet started, a suspicious look in his face that insinuated he was looking for a fight, "you never told us what you were doing there in the first place,"

"Eh?" he didn't even spare him a glance. No doubt the tone was lost to him.

"Jet…" Levy cautioned.

"What? You don't find it strange that there just so happened to be a dark guild there and he showed up right on cue?"

"Jet!" Levy gasped at his brashness and felt Gajeel's muscle's begin to tighten under her.

"Oh, come on, Levy," he snuffed, "You're a bright girl. Given his past, would it really be surprising if he was consorting with dark mages? Old friends, perhaps?"

Suddenly Gajeel turned on him, his eyes blazing, "You lookin' for a fight, Speedy?"

"Guys…"

The two ignored Levy's cries for peace and stared each other down, both refusing to budge in their silent contest. Levy felt Gajeel shift her into one arm and he angrily tousled with something in his pocket before he threw a piece of paper at Jet's face, who flinched away from the swift movement.

"Tch," Gajeel clicked his teeth, "I ain't got nothin' to hide, ya speedy prick,"

And with that, he turned away, but not before Levy could make out the job poster in Jet's hands and the sickened look on his face as Gajeel departed.


	7. Chapter 7

_**OMIGOSH WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THIS CHAPTER WAS ALL MESSED UP?!**_

**I'm sososososososososo sorry! I didn't realize it was all in code and junk! Sometimes my computer does that, I'm not sure if its just the conversion process when I post it or what but... gosh... sorry guys! Luckily it was mostly fluff and wasn't a major part of the story so it wasn't like ya'll were missing out on something huge. But once again I'm sorry! If I had known I would have changed it ages ago! Gaaaahhh... **

**Well, I hope you guys enjoy. Sorry again! D:**

* * *

><p>"I still don't understand why we're sharing a suite," Jet grumbled, following behind Levy with Droy close at his heels.<p>

After everything that had happened, Team Shadow Gear hadn't been able to complete their mission and so was forced to stay another day in the small city. Gajeel, having already taken out the main driving force of the dark guild, had no real reason for staying other than making sure the group stayed out of trouble since his job request was completed. Unfortunately for the male portion of Team Shadow Gear, this also meant he was the only one with enough money for a room.

"Quit your gripin'," Gajeel growled, throwing his pack over his shoulder as he pulled out the key, "Be glad I'm not making your sorry ass sleep outside. After your amazing job of protecting Levy, you need _something_ to toughen you idiots up."

"They did their best," Levy objected, still rubbing her head from the – now much lighter – throbbing, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have told them to go off alone without knowing what could be around,"

Before getting a room, they'd stopped at the infirmary to get Levy treatment – which Gajeel had also had to pay for. They'd stitched the gash in her head and washed most of the blood from her hair and given her a syrupy substance to help ease the pain. After giving her stiff orders not to be doing anything too strenuous for the next couple of days, they'd sent her off without any complications. Gajeel, however, had been chastising her teammates for their failures ever since.

"It's fine, Levy," Droy chirped, always the one to try and keep the peace, "The whole thing was just a bad situation. We'll be more careful next time,"

Gajeel mumbled something under his breath similar to '_lucky there is a next time'_ and pushed open the door to the room. Levy's eyes widened as she took in the room. There were two queen-sized beds covered in beautiful, soft quilts with down pillows half Levy's size. They were on the second story and there was a bay window leading out to a small balcony, opened slightly to let in the gentle spring breeze.

"Wow…" Levy sighed, spreading her fingers over the plump mattress, "These beds are soooooo soft…"

"Geehee, you act like you've never slept in a hotel before, Shorty," Gajeel laughed, tossing his pack onto a chair that was sitting in the corner.

"Not one like this," she smiled, jumping up to sit on the edge of the huge bed. She crinkled her nose in a childish smile.

"Soooo…" Jet drew in a breath, awkwardly bringing up what Levy had secretly been wondering herself, "Who's going to be sleeping on the floor?"

"Eh?" Gajeel's eyes cut towards them, sizing them up quietly.

"I can," Levy volunteered, "I don't mind."

"You ain't sleeping on the floor," Gajeel growled, dismissing the idea entirely.

"B-but, I mean, it's the most practical. If I sleep in a bed, both Jet and Droy would have to sleep on the floor,"

"They can't share a bed?" one of his studded eyebrows lifted as he crossed his arms.

Levy felt herself blush suddenly as the scenario suddenly played out in her mind. Surely he wouldn't be sleeping on the floor, since he paid for the room, which meant if she got a bed he would have to share a bed with her…

_'Nononononono… surely that's not what he's thinking…'_ she suddenly felt her face getting extremely warm.

A mischievous smile slowly worked its way up his features, "Something wrong, Shorty? You're about as red as a tomato, geehee,"

"Where are _you_ going to sleep, then?" Jet said coolly, narrowing his eyes at him.

Gajeel raised his other brow at him, his eyes igniting at the hostility in Jet's voice and his smile turning to a wicked one, "Anywhere I damn well please,"

Levy's face burned so much her head started throbbing viciously again. She felt like she was suffocating in the hostility that was hanging heavily in the room between the Dragon Slayer and her teammate. These shenanigans were quickly making her stress levels skyrocket and she was losing her tolerance for it, especially with her headache. She winced and rubbed the back of her head, hoping to relieve some of the pressure.

Suddenly, the hostility vanished as Gajeel's eyes fell on her, "You ok, Short Stack?"

"Huh? Y-yeah… my head just really hurts. All this excitement is getting to me, I guess," she sighed, looking at her fingers to make sure she wasn't bleeding again.

He turned and started rummaging through his pack, grabbing a black shirt and throwing it at her, "Here," he sighed, his voice sounding as if he were taking care of a child, "Go take a warm shower. I'll be back,"

"B-but," she blushed again, feeling as if it were the millionth time, "I can't wear this,"

"Why not? Geehee, it's almost like a dress on you anyway," he snickered, pushing past Jet and Droy before disappearing from the room.

"What an ass," Jet glared at the door as if it were the bane of his existence, "He can't seriously think he can share a bed with you,"

"I-I'm sure he's just kidding," Levy smiled, waving her hand dismissively, "I'll probably just sleep on the floor, anyway…"

"No way," Droy hushed her with a stern look, "as badly as you hit your head, you need a good night's rest,"

"But-"

"He's right," Jet crossed his arms, pushing her towards the bathroom, "and a shower will probably help your headache. We'll have it figured out by the time you get back, don't worry about it,"

"Oh… ok," she sighed, shutting the door quietly behind her.

She let out a weary breath and started untangling herself from her dress, which was mostly ruined. Blood made the back of her dress stained and rigid and there were tears in the skirt from the events of the day. She ran her fingers over the fabric delicately; she was glad she wasn't one to get emotional over clothes, because if she were, she'd probably be in tears at the moment.

The thought emerged that she didn't have anything else to wear since the team hadn't anticipated on staying in the small town, which meant she'd have to wear it again tomorrow. She wrinkled her nose in disgust but quickly resigned herself to her fate, brushing it off for the next morning as she started the steaming water.

After sufficiently scrubbing herself clean, she felt loads better but exhaustion was also beginning to make her eyes heavy. After delicately towel drying her hair, she slid into the dark oversized shirt Gajeel had given her. The fabric was soft against her skin and the hem came down just above her knees, which really she should have expected since he was so huge. She took in a deep breath, inhaling the strange scent that now clung to her. It was musky, filling her nose with metal and spice, a scent that immediately conjured a picture of the rough-edged Dragon Slayer.

_'Well… maybe not as rough as he seems,' _she smiled to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

To Levy's surprise, all of the lights were out when she came out of the bathroom. Jet and Droy were both laying sprawled out on one of the beds, bare-chested and snoring contentedly. She smiled at the sight and pulled the blankets up to cover them, a motherly gesture that made her smile soften just a bit.

She started when she cast her eyes to the balcony. The curtain was drawn but she could tell the door was wide open by the way the breeze gently shook the fabric. At first she thought that maybe Jet or Droy had gone out while she was in the shower and had forgotten to close the door, but that thought was quickly tossed aside when she made out the looming figure sitting on a chair just outside. Quietly, she stepped outside.

"What are you doing?" Levy said, putting her hand on Gajeel's shoulder.

He didn't look up, only continued whatever he was doing with his hands. His shirt was gone, discarded on the railing, and she could clearly see the wound from earlier that day. A bag of metal rods sat next to him and one was sticking out of his mouth as he munched it hungrily.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" his voice hummed warmly.

"Shouldn't you?" she smiled, walking around to his front. His eyes left what was in his hands to look up at her, shimmering like rubies in the moon's light. She blushed when he obviously looked her up and down and hugged herself protectively. Then, as if the moment hadn't even happened, his attention turned back to whatever he was doing. She briefly wondered why his jaw was set a little tighter than before, but quickly brushed it off.

"I can't sleep with the smell of blood," he mumbled, biting the iron rod in half and chewing it lazily.

"The smell of blood?" her eyebrows furrowed and she realized he was threading a curved needle.

"Yeah," he let out a sigh, his eyes turning to study the four-inch slice in his skin.

"Give it to me," Levy held out her hand expectantly, "I'll stitch it for you,"

"I don't need no help," he growled.

Levy rolled her eyes and took the needle from him, "How are you supposed to get your back, then?"

"Yer too nosy for your own good, you know that?" he grumbled, letting his cheek rest against his fist as she got to work on his wound.

"So you say," she sighed back, getting to work on stitching him together. A moment of tense silence passed between them before Levy decided to break it, "So you don't like the smell of blood?"

"Eh?" one of his eyes opened lazily to gaze in her direction as she worked, "Not really. Well… I guess it depends,"

"On what?" she'd be lying if she said her curiosity wasn't peaked. She'd been reading the book he'd let her borrow and it had described that Dragon Slayers had an amazing sense of smell, but she was questioning just how good it really was.

"Well… I dunno really," he closed his eye again, concentrating on his answer, "When I'm fighting, I love it. Its like it drives me forward. Any other time, though, its just tedious. It's so strong it makes it hard for me to smell anything else… and it makes me hungry,"

Levy snickered, "How could it make you hungry?"

He looked at her quizzically, as if she should know already, "Because it smells like iron,"

"Shouldn't blood smell like… I don't know, death, or something?" she mused, not really intending to say it out loud.

"Not really. Unless its old,"

"I didn't really need an answer,"

"Well then you shouldn't've asked!"

Levy quickly tied of the knot and let Gajeel cut it with an edged finger, and then she started on the much larger gash on his back.

"How haven't you bled out?" she gasped, pinching the wound closed before she started working. She could almost see to his bone and it disturbed her. What was he made of anyway?

Oh that's right…

Gajeel snorted, "You can't kill me with an iron blade. What kind of master would I be if I could be killed by my own element? You don't ever see Salamander getting burned, do you?"

"Yes but a stab wound is a little different, don't you think?" she huffed, considering sticking him with the needle. But then, knowing him, he wouldn't even flinch.

"Geehee, I'm tougher than that, Shorty," he smirked, his red eyes glinting in the dim light.

They fell back into silence as she worked, touching his skin gently so as to not worry the flesh around his injury. To her surprise, his eyes fluttered shut as she worked and she could feel his muscles relaxing. Even though he was injured, she didn't think she'd ever seen the Iron Mage so at peace. He'd changed so much from when they'd first met, it was almost as if he were a different person altogether. And maybe he was.

She started when a deep thrumming sound reverberated from his chest, something that reminded her of a sleeping cat's purr.

"You're not falling asleep, are you?" she asked, incredulity filling her voice.

"Mmm…"

She couldn't help the gentle smile that came to her lips, "Thank you, by the way,"

"Eh?" he looked over at her sleepily, his voice low and groggy, "For what?"

Levy quickly ducked her face from view as blush started to color her cheeks, "You know… for saving me,"

"If you hadn't hit your head, you probably wouldn't have needed it," he growled, his eyes glinting with something dark as he remembered the event, "Still wish I'd killed the bastard,"

"I'm glad you didn't," she said quietly, staring down at her busy fingers, "And even if I hadn't hit my head, I probably couldn't have taken those guys by myself. I'm not very strong, or a good fighter, which is why I have Jet and Droy to help me. I'm only good for my brain, really…"

He suddenly turned on her, making her jump back in surprise as his glare captured her. His lip twitched as an angry growl reverberated in his chest and his eyes held hers with a ferocity that made her heartbeat jump a few paces.

"Don't say that," he growled, "Don't say that again,"

"Wh-what?" she couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine. He was just so terrifying.

"You're stronger than you think and those two cowards can't hold a candle to what you can do. You got better things to do than dwell on your screw ups," his eyes softened a little and his appearance became a tad less fierce, "How do you expect to get stronger if you don't get a little messed up along the way?"

"That's easy for you to say," she sighed, not meeting his gaze, "You could take on Natsu, something I'd never be able to do. Whenever something gets in your way, you always manage to fight your way out of it. I can't even conjure a light when I fall into a trap,"

"Tch," despite his gruff tone, a small grin broke out across his features, "You have no idea what I've had to do to get where I am. There were days when I got the shit beat out of me so bad I had to spend the night in a ditch somewhere. Hell, the first time I joined Phantom Lord they fucked me up so bad I spent a month in the infirmary. Just because I'm strong now, doesn't mean I always was. I just learned to get stronger.

"And hell, I'll never be able to translate languages or break through Freed's Rune Spells. No amount of brute strength could have gotten me and Flame Brain out of his trap to take care of Laxus, only you could do that. Don't underestimate yourself. You got better things to do that be sorry fer yourself, anyway,"

He reached out his arm and put his palm on her head, ruffling her hair playfully, "You don't do a half bad job at patching someone up either,"

"I-I…" Levy was blushing so hard she thought her face was on fire. Suddenly, he leaned in really close to her, until she could feel his breath across her face. A wicked grin spread across his features as he did so and she swallowed hard, surprise flashing across her face.

"You don't look bad in black either, geeheehee…"

"G-Gajeel!"


	9. Chapter 9

When Levy awoke the next morning, she felt miles better than the night before. She stretched out in the bed and snuggled down deeper into the blankets, ignoring the light that was filtering in through the window to trail into her eyes. Somewhere in the world outside of the plush pillows and warm sheets, she could hear the comfortable snores of Jet and Droy, and the sound of a door quietly sliding shut.

Blinking into the morning light, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she cast her gaze about the room. Jet and Droy lay haphazardly across their bed, blankets and pillows strewn about chaotically as they tossed in their sleep. Gajeel, however, was nowhere to be found.

She heard the water in the bathroom start, accompanied by the sound of the shower and she felt her heart settle a little.

Her eyes caught on something brightly colored at the foot of her bed and she crawled forward to grab the soft fabric, letting out a gasp as she held it before her. An orange sundress, modestly made with a blue ribbon around the waist, it was dainty in her hands. She noticed a couple shirts and pairs of pants sitting next to where it had been on the bed, no doubt for Jet and Droy. She couldn't help but stare at the bathroom door with an incredulous look on her face.

Had Gajeel gotten these? But then, he must have since he was the only one with the money to do so. She made a mental note to thank him later as she quickly slid the dress over her and discarded his shirt. Taking a quick look outside to gage the time of day, she quickly woke Jet and Droy to get ready for what the day held for them.

Translating the rest of the runes was child's play to Levy and soon most of her work was finished with. Besides Gajeel complaining about how bored he was and the occasional bout between him and the rest of Team Shadow Gear, the day was mostly quiet. The dark guild from the day before was just a creeping sensation left in dark shadows that she didn't even think about as she sat on the warm stone bathed by the dying sun's light. The only thing left to tend to now was the growing hunger pains in her stomach and bringing the translations to their customer.

After what felt like ages, Levy finally stood and stretched, tucking her pen behind her ear and dusting off the sundress that ghosted over the skin of her mid-thigh.

"You finally done, pipsqueak?" Gajeel grunted, jumping down from his perch in a tree he had been climbing to try and occupy his time.

"Would you stop calling her silly names!?" Jet snapped at him, shooting him a look so angry you would think he were willing Gajeel's heart to stop. Gajeel merely rolled his eyes in reply, completely used to - and far more than annoyed with - his antics by this part of the day.

"I'm ready," Levy smiled happily, closing the book she'd been writing in and hopping merrily from the rock face to start making her way down towards the town.

"Well it's about damn time," Gajeel huffed, following after the tiny mage and completely ignoring the angry guard dogs trotting behind his heels.

"Nobody said you had to stay," Jet spat, his eyes trying to burn a hole through Gajeel's leather-covered shoulder, "In fact, I'm sure we'd be better off if you'd just get lost already,"

"And miss the pleasure of annoying the shit out of you, Speedy? Please…" Gajeel scoffed, casting a venomous look back at Jet.

"Why don't you just fuck off!"

"Only if you ask me to dinner, first,"

"You're a disgusting pig of a bastard, Redfox,"

"And you like to run your mouth too damn much, you beady-eyed little prick," Gajeel turned on him, towering over him with glowering red eyes and bared fangs. Jet held his ground, standing chest to chest with the Iron Dragon without flinching, although his eye betrayed slight hesitation.

"Guys, why don't we wait to take this to the guildhall, eh? You can fight each other to your heart's content there," Droy tried to step in but the two didn't budge and only continued their dagger-filled glare off.

Levy let out a sigh. They'd been at each other all day and it was starting to wear her down. She wished she could just say Gajeel started it all with his hot-headed impatience, but more often than not it was actually Jet who instigated the fights. The first couple of times Gajeel had just snuffed him indignantly, glaring at the redhead as if he were a fly buzzing around his head. Then he'd relented his ever slight self-control and they'd been at these antics ever since. Although, the insults were quickly becoming more and more colorful and inventive, something she completely expected from a thug like Gajeel but had no idea could exist in Jet's vocabulary.

"No need," Gajeel's voice cut with a slicing edge that made the hair on the back of Levy's neck stand up. He was really starting to lose his temper, "Speedy over here knows he couldn't take me even if he tried,"

"You wanna bet?" Jet growled, his fists clutching so hard they started shaking.

Gajeel's lips curled up at the corners in a wicked grin the three of them knew far too well. Levy immediately knew they were getting into sensitive territory and she started trying to find a way to diffuse the situation before the two of them started brawling. But of course, neither of them would keep their mouths shut for longer than it took to slate words with each other.

"I gave my word to a little bird that I wouldn't fight with guild mates," Gajeel's teeth flashed in the light, "But a friendly round never hurt anyone,"

"Like anyone would be stupid enough to believe the trash that comes from your mouth," Jet glowered, his magic charging around him, "And I'll be damned before I let you think you'd ever be a friend of mine,"

"Is that so," Gajeel's eyes sparkled at the challenging male before him, but he actually had no intentions to fight the speed mage.

As much as his blood boiled being around Jet, he knew very well he wouldn't be able to bring himself to lay a hand on the scrawny mage in the way he had so long ago. Even though the opposing mage held so much hate in his eyes that it filled his scent with a stench so strong Gajeel almost had to cover his nose to stifle it out, Gajeel didn't see him as an enemy. So when the speed mage brought his fist forward with lightning speed to land a solid one on his chest, Gajeel merely swiped the motion away and turned the mage around so he tripped over his own feet and staggered away. Jet probably thought he was toying with him, but in all actuality, Gajeel was doing it to keep from hurting him again.

Besides, he didn't know how well he'd hold up if Levy turned on him for batting her teammate around like the buzzing little bee he was. Because as much as he hated it, he'd started to develop a soft spot for the blue-haired girl, and he'd be damned if he'd taken so much time and effort to get on her good side only to have it snatched away by his own god-forsaken temper.

Jet lunged for him again, this time bringing his foot around to land a kick into his ribs. Gajeel brought his arm up to block easily, not even using his magic to encase his arm in metal. Hand-to-hand was something Gajeel prided himself in. A mage without magic was a useless one if he couldn't fight in a pinch, and so he'd mastered his body as well as his magic. And Jet, although quick as he was, couldn't match up to his prowess on any level.

"C'mon, Speedy," Gajeel grinned, flashing his teeth, "I ain't even broken a sweat. You can't tell me that's all ya got. No wonder those dark guild bastards caught you,"

Jet's heart constricted with unbidden rage and he did something he wasn't completely proud of for the sake of securing a solid hit. He swept his foot up, sending dust into the Iron Dragon's eyes and brought his fist up to connect with his gut. Then, as fast and as hard as he could, he brought his elbow down on the freshly sown wound on his shoulder, busting back open the seam. One last kick sent Gajeel tumbling head over heels into the surrounding forest and he rolled down the tree-covered bluff and out of sight.

"What was that, you cocky bastard?" Jet grinned devilishly to himself before a hand sacked him across the face. He startled back and stared into the enraged brown eyes of Levy.

"That was a cheap and dirty trick, Jet!" she huffed, pushing him out of the way to head down the slope, "Just because you're angry doesn't mean you can do something like that. Honestly, I thought you a far better person that this,"

"Levy, I-"

"I don't want to hear it," she glared at him before carefully making her decent.

"Nice," Droy crossed his arms at him, "Now you got her pissed at you too,"

"Oh, come off it,"


	10. Chapter 10

It wasn't the hit that made it so Gajeel couldn't stand up, nor was it the twisting and tumbling down the slope watching the sky and earth merge until his stomach threatened to release its contents on… well… everything. It was when gravity finally let his body come to a rest, cracking his skull on stone so hard he lay on the ground gaping like a fish as his ears rang with a ferocity that made his vision fill with blinding lights. He could smell blood from what he guessed was the reopening of his wound and his wrist had hit something hard enough on the way down that it lay in a strange position somewhere out of his line of sight.

He could swear his toes were going numb.

His lungs refused to take in air after the wind had been knocked out of them and his heart thudded so hard in his chest his panic instinct was threatening to kick in. He struggled in a few breaths, concentrating on closing and opening his eyes until the lights finally started fading and he could make out hazy shapes. Finally determining which way was down, he tried to push himself up only to have his stomach lurch with nausea and he toppled to the ground without even realizing it was coming for him.

"Shit," his voice choked, but it sounded heavy and lethargic on his tongue, "Diz…zy…"

Damn the ringing that kept him so disorientated he couldn't keep his eyes open.

"…" he could feel the vibrations in the earth as feet hit the ground, closing in on him, "…eel… aj… eel…"

His nose was stinging and he tried to push himself up again, but instead of the ground being pushed away he merely grated his cheek against the rock.

"Ga… are… oo… ay…"

A shadow descended over him and he tried to focus his vision on the hazy form. He couldn't find a name on the tip of his tongue, however, and the sight started pulsating with the throbbing in his head. Fuck, how hard had he hit the ground?

A small hand touched his arm and he suddenly felt alarmed. His mind was muddled and the last thing he needed was someone trying to get to him during his moment of weakness. His hand grabbed hold of the wrist and yanked it away, but the movement was slow and lacked the anger he was trying to put across. With the movement, the world felt like it had started turning under him.

"Don… touchmeh…" he slurred, and he felt his skin turning into scales as his unfocused eyes tried to latch onto something to make the world stop spinning… Goddamn the endless spinning…

Two more voices surfaced and he could hear them talking amongst themselves. What the hell did they think he was, some dying animal they found in the forest? Actually, was he in a forest? He was lying on what he thought was stone, so did that mean he was inside? No, he could feel a breeze brushing against him.

Oh dear God, the endless spinning and ringing were too much. His stomach gurgled violently and he felt the bile rising into his throat. For the life of him, he did NOT want to vomit on himself. With as much strength as he could muster, he planted his hands onto the ground and pushed with enough force to land him upright and he tilted his head over to the side and…

Everything stopped.

The ringing ended, the spinning came to a crashing halt, and he was just twisted on the ground waiting for the dry heave to let his body stop shaking. His nose was clear, the smell of blood no longer completely clouding his nostrils and his eyes focused with striking clearness on the ground. No more haze.

"What. The. Fucking. Hell." Gajeel breathed, his throat still tight with the bile that had climbed precariously close to his gag reflex.

"G-Gajeel?" Levy's hand found his shoulder and his eyes cut to the ground where his head had lay just moments before, and then travelled up, up, up, making him crane his neck at the large stone slabs sticking upright in the ground. The cave writing decorated the stones and he could see what remained of ancient paint. The stone structure was large and was shaped in what appeared to be a perfect circular floor with ten of the slabs total shooting at least twenty feet in the air. In the middle of the circle, there was what looked to be an altar.

Immediately what caught Gajeel's attention was the lack of plant life growing from betwixt the stones. With so many trees and flowers around, why weren't there sprouts?

"Gajeel, are you ok?" Levy shook his shoulder a bit, worry in her voice.

"What is this place?" he finally spoke, his voice catching in his tight throat as he forced the words.

"I dunno… no one told us about this," she murmured, her big curious eyes taking it all in. She went to take a step forward but he grabbed her leg, making her jump slightly.

"There's something wrong with this place," he growled, an uneasy feeling working its way up his spine as he stared at the altar. Something was very, very wrong.

"You hit your head pretty hard, there, Gajeel," Droy crossed his arms and leaned towards him, "You sure you're ok?"

"Not that hard," Gajeel seethed, completely appalled with their easy-going countenances. No wonder Levy always got into trouble, their instincts were duller than-

"Wow…" Levy gasped, turning in a circle to stare with wide-eyed wonder at the slabs extending to the sky, "These are incredible,"

"L-Levy! Get back here!" Gajeel's adrenaline surged at the sight of her skipping casually about the stones. His protective instincts climbed to a height he didn't even know existed and he shot forward only to come up short when he attempted to breach the circle. He couldn't will his body forward even if he'd wanted to and an angry tremor went through him, "Shit…"

"Jeeze, Gajeel, scared of a bunch of rocks?" Jet scoffed, following after Levy into the cursed area. Even Droy walked over to the rune-covered stones with a curious look on his face, completely at ease in the place. Why was Gajeel the only one who felt more wound up than a fresh bedspring? His heart was hammering and he felt nervousness, foreign and cool, send his stomach into worrisome knots. His instincts were screaming at him to get them out of there, that it wasn't safe in the least bit.

"These symbols…" Levy murmured, staring at the slabs with wonder-filled eyes, "They're not like the ones I deciphered in the caves even thought they're similar… a branch of the original language, maybe?"

"I dunno, Levy," Jet came up beside her, eyes sliding over the characters swiftly, "These seem older, don't they? See how the marks aren't as defined?"

"But that could just be because of the weather. The ones in the cave weren't exposed to the elements like these are…" she started walking around, running her fingers over the cold stone.

Gajeel almost couldn't take it. He started pacing angrily on the edge, his eyes glistening like a trapped animal's. He could feel his hair standing on end. Why didn't they just get out of there? The urgency was clawing at his throat and he couldn't maintain his composure. He felt similar to watching something terrible happen without the ability to stop it. He didn't know how, but something sinister permeated in the air around the place. Whatever this place was used for in the past, and he could only guess at what it could have been, it was something incredible and evil. Or maybe not even evil, just unnatural to the point that it staved off all forms of life from the area… except for the three idiots prancing around on the cursed stone.

When Levy approached the altar in the center, something started to snap inside of him. The need to get her away from the place intensified and he could almost feel the taste of panic in his mouth. He couldn't stop his magic from reacting as his scales materialized and iron started rolling in his stomach.

He could hear Droy say something but the words didn't process.

A memory started to surface in front of him. Blood and smoke filled his nostrils and he could see dark figures beginning to materialize from the surrounding brush. Their voices thrummed in his ears as they chanted something in a language foreign to him. A body was lying on the altar, covered in blood with sullied blue curls flowing over the unforgiving stone as a deafening roar was released upon the heavens…

"G-Gajeel?"

His chest was heaving and he was in full Iron Dragon's Scales mode. He could feel his heart pounding angrily in his chest as his vision focused to the three forms now standing in front of him. He grabbed his chest as if the action would help to calm him and he tried to calm the feelings of panic racing through his veins. He looked to the worried eyes of Levy and the blue curls falling gently around her face, so strikingly familiar to the one's he'd seen in the vision that left a haunting feeling in the base of his throat.

"We're leaving," he huffed, his voice gruff and strained as he turned away from them, "Now,"


	11. Chapter 11

"Thank you so much!" the short man gushed as he took the papers from her hands.

"Not a problem," Levy smiled as he handed her their reward, "Just let me know if you need any more done,"

"Oh, of course, of course," his eyes traced hungrily across the pages she'd given him, immediately consumed.

Levy left the room, shutting the door silently behind her. Jet, Droy, and Gajeel had all been waiting out in the hall of the giant mansion. She had no idea what such a place was doing in the relatively humble town, but goodness it was extravagant. Everything seemed to be carved from marble with handmade woodworking. Old portraits lined the walls as if to advertise the rich family lineage. She wasn't quite sure what the family business was, but whatever it was, it was a good one.

"You guys ready to go?" she smiled, immediately gaining Jet and Droy's approval. Gajeel didn't say a word as he stared down at his boots, his eyes distant in thought.

She'd started to realize Gajeel was a very meticulous man who didn't do anything unless there was a reason behind it. When they'd been at that stone monument, whatever strange phenomena that had once happened there, it had done something to him. He'd been frantic when she had gone to investigate the area, something that had honestly startled her. What had really worried her, though, was the strange look that had filled his eyes just before his magic had reacted. It was as if he were watching something terrible happen…

She quickly brushed the thought off as a chill started to travel down her spine. He'd been silent their entire trek back to the town, strikingly lost in thought. Slowly, though, he'd started to resume his usual gait and even reacted to a few of Jet's insults. As soon as they left for Magnolia, she was sure it would all be behind them.

Gajeel's eyes suddenly snapped up towards the bend in the hall and he straightened from his casual lean against the wall. He squared himself into a strong stance just as a man turned the corner, headed for them.

"Hullo," he smiled, long silver locks falling over his shoulders as striking blue eyes met Levy's, "You must be the answers to my father's hire,"

"Yes," Levy smiled, holding out her hand towards him, "We're from Fairy Tail. We actually just gave your father the translation. I hope it's helpful to your research,"

"I'm sure it will be," he smiled, bringing her hand up delicately to plant a kiss on her skin. The gesture made her cheeks heat furiously and her smile turned into a nervous one, "May I ask your name, pretty miss?"

"L-Levy. Levy McGarden," she smiled and then hastily gestured to the rest of her party as Jet and Droy stepped forwards defensively, "And this is Jet, Droy, and Gajeel,"

"Pleased to meet you all," the silver-haired man replied, shaking first Jet and then Droy's hands. He then turned to Gajeel who watched him coolly, "And you must be the gentleman that ran out the Dark Guild who was making their home in the caves. Pleased to make your acquaintance as well."

Levy felt a chill as the two regarded each other. Both suddenly took on a predatory aura as they looked at each other, the silver-headed man's hand extended in a friendly gesture that suddenly didn't seem as friendly as before. Gajeel's red eyes trained on his figure, not skipping over a single detail. It was like a tiger and a dragon staring each other down and Levy suddenly felt very unsure about the whole situation.

"It's called a handshake," the man's blue eyes bored into Gajeel, his smile turning slightly sour.

"I know what it is," Gajeel's voice was cold and he was stifling a growl from slipping past his throat. Everything about the pampered bastard was off, from his look to his scent, or rather the blatant lack thereof. Gajeel had met people with strange scents before, but this man literally smelled like nothing. He didn't even resemble the smell of the air in the area. It was a striking void amidst what should have been complete normalcy, which meant he was using something specific to hide it, like a spell or charm. And someone who had to hide their scent meant someone who had to hide something else, and Gajeel didn't take well to manipulative little pricks.

"So your name is Gajeel? As in Gajeel Redfox, I presume?" his voice was gentle but there was a malice hidden in between his teeth.

"Depends on who's askin',"

"Charming," he soothed down a stray lock as he studied Gajeel out of the corner of his eye, "I've never met a Dragon Slayer before. I was wondering if you'd be willing to answer a few questions for me?"

"Sorry, bub, I ain't takin' interviews today. Maybe some other time,"

The man frowned then, his eyes narrowing at his brashness.

"I'm sorry, but we really need to be getting back home," Levy suddenly interrupted, drawing his attention.

"Well of course," his smile broke out once again, and unsettling gesture to her, "Don't let me keep you. Thank you all so much again,"

As they started their departure, Levy couldn't help but notice the glare Gajeel shot at him and how he pointedly kept himself in between them and the silver-haired gentleman. The word territorial came to Levy's mind before they rounded the corner out of sight.

"What was all that about?" Droy blurted as they made their way out of the building towards the train station.

Gajeel just grunted and crossed his arms, "I don't trust 'em,"

"You don't trust anyone," Jet glared, earning himself a satisfying eye roll from the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"You three have the instincts of a dead cat," he muttered.

"Well we're headed home now," Levy smiled, skipping ahead of them all, "So nothing more to worry about, right?"

"Right, Levy!" Jet and Droy chimed.

Gajeel glanced back over his shoulder one last time, noticing a familiar silhouette in one of the glittering mansion windows. He let himself bare his fangs one last time before following after the disgustingly merry band towards the train station. He definitely wasn't looking forward to the ride home, no doubt filled with dry heaves and insults from a certain Speed Mage.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

**The song that is quoted in this song is not of my own making! It is called ****_From Eden_**** by ****_Hozier_****. I have really fallen in love with this song and wanted to incorporate it into one of my fan fictions, and so I did! If you don't like the addition, then my deepest apologies. I personally love the song and hope the rest of you enjoy it to! I encourage you to look it up when you finish reading! **

**Thank you all very much for your continued support! I really do cherish your reviews!**

* * *

><p>Levy hummed to herself as she trotted down the road, her hands intertwining around the newest book she'd borrowed from the library. She cast her eyes causally up to the sky, a smile playing on her lips at the serene blue that greeted her.<p>

Just a week ago, the guild had been entangled in the massive problem that was Edolas. She, of course, didn't remember any of it being that she'd been turned into a lacrima the entire time. She'd heard Lucy talk about what it looked like and Edolas Levy, which sounded like something far from what she'd ever be. She couldn't help the chuckle that had escaped her when Lucy told her Edolas Lucy and Levy didn't get along in the slightest, which seemed hilarious to her since she and Lucy were like sisters. But after hearing about the Edolas versions of her guildmates, it seemed the only person even remotely similar to themselves at all was Edolas Gajeel. A journalist trying to infiltrate the government? Somehow that didn't seem too far-fetched… if Gajeel had somehow found a way with words.

More than anything, though, Levy had found herself enamored with their new guildmate Pantherlily. He seemed good for Gajeel, something to ground the irate Dragon Slayer down and serve as a brain along with the brawn. Lily was a soldier and wiser when it came to battle, preferring to analyze the situation instead of plunging headlong into the fray like his partner. They definitely made a good pair, the two.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, Lily," Levy smiled, seeing the little black Exceed wandering down the path towards her with a sour expression. His eyes lit up playfully when he saw her and he grinned.

"Hello, Miss Levy," he smiled.

"What are you doing out and about by yourself? Haven't you and Gajeel been tied at the hip since you've joined?" Levy's brow scrunched as she looked about, not seeing the brooding Iron Mage anywhere.

Lily paused for a second, a glimmer in his eyes as his wheels turned for a moment, "Actually, I was just looking for him. We were walking around the park but I lost sight of him. You wouldn't mind helping me find him, would you?"

"Oh, sure," Levy opened her arms for him to jump into them, "Do you know where you last saw him?"

"I think he was headed past those trees,"

"Mm,"

They set out through the park, the warm sun making her skin prickle against the breeze. She loved this kind of weather. It was just warm enough for her to go around in her sundress without breaking a sweat and her hair bounced in the gentle breeze around her face. The sun illuminated everything brilliantly, which was why she'd been headed out in the first place. She'd been planning to find a nice quiet place to read her book, but helping Lily worked just fine.

Besides, it gave her an excuse to see the metal-studded Dragon Slayer, a thought that caused the slightest blush to color her cheeks.

They'd actually been spending more time together in the past few weeks. He'd changed even more since Edolas. His sarcasm was less gruff and he joked more than he used to. She'd found herself growing fond of that maniacal grin of his and often found a curiosity in his eyes she'd never seen there before. It was a strange thing to her, the feelings she got in the pit of her stomach when he was around…

"Listen…"

Levy froze; straining her ears to pick up the sound Lily had hushed her for. She could hear the sounds of a guitar. Gently plucked notes became chords and abruptly stopped only to pick back up again in a steady rhythm. Slowly, Levy edged around a large tree and found a grin twitching at the side of her lips at what she saw.

Gajeel sat under the branches of a large oak, several sheets of paper sprawled out around him and a pen in his mouth as he plucked at the strings of his guitar. Every once in a while a note would come out sour and he'd huff in frustration and write something on a piece of paper hastily. He hummed a few bars on occasion, muttering things under his breath when it didn't sound to his liking.

She jumped when he started singing to himself.

"_Babe, there's something wretched about this… something so precious about this, oh, what a sin…_"

He continued strumming and a satisfied smile came to his mouth as he stopped and quickly wrote down the lyrics he'd just come up with. He lifted the papers in his hands, his eyes going over them swiftly as he took in his work.

"Not half bad…" he grinned.

"You finally finished, then?" Lily snickered, jumping out of Levy's arms to trot over to him. His eyes cut over to the little Exceed and he opened his mouth to retort something when his gaze met Levy's, and he snapped his mouth shut with a stunned look coming to his face.

"How… how long have you been there?!"

"U-uh… I…"

"Calm down. We just got here," Lily smirked, earning a glare from the Dragon Slayer.

"It sounded nice," Levy smiled sheepishly, hugging her book to her chest.

"Why don't you play it for her?" Lily smiled wickedly, eyeing his friend coyly.

"Oi, shaddup!" Gajeel growled, staring down the tiny black cat, "It ain't finished!"

"Oh, its finished. Otherwise you wouldn't have just looked the whole thing over,"

"Damn cat. Who says she even wants to hear it anyway?"

"I don't mind…" Levy cut in, earning the attentions of them both, "I was just coming here to read anyway… and it did sound nice from what I heard,"

"See?" Lily grinned, sitting next to the brooding mage, "What's a musician without an audience?"

He muttered something that sounded like, "Damn cat needs to mind his own business," as Levy sat across from them, an encouraging smile lighting up her features. She hadn't thought he was that bad the first time she'd heard him play, if needing a slight bit more improvement, but the song she'd heard pieces of earlier had been pleasant and she was actually curious to hear more.

"Love songs ain't really my thing," he muttered, not meeting her gaze as his fingers twitched above the strings, "So… just… keep yer mouth shut,"

Levy made like she was zipping her lips and waited patiently as he started playing the guitar. The notes seeped into the air like warm honey as the melody came forward. She noticed him tapping his foot to the beat as he played, his eyes scrutinizing the guitar.

"_Babe, there's something tragic about you,_

_Something so magic about you,_

_Don't you agree?_

_Babe, there's something lonesome about you,_

_Something so wholesome about you,_

_Get closer to me._

_No tired sigh,_

_No rolling eyes,_

_No irony._

_No 'who cares?'_

_No 'they can stare'_

_No time for me._

_Honey, you're familiar_

_Like my mirror years ago_

_Idealism sits in prison_

_Chivalry fell on his sword_

_Innocence died screamin'_

_Honey ask me, I should know_

_I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door_

_Babe, there's something wretched about this_

_Something so precious about this_

_Oh, what a sin_

_Into the strand_

_A picnic plan for you and me_

_A rope in hand_

_For your other man to_

_Hang from a tree_

_Honey, you're familiar_

_Like my mirror years ago_

_Idealism sits in prison_

_Chivalry fell on his sword_

_Innocence died screamin'_

_Honey ask me, I should know_

_I slithered here from Eden just to hide outside your door…_"

With the last repeat of the chorus the song ended, his voice and the gentle music suspended in the summer air like a sweet smell you didn't want to shoo away. She didn't know when, but at sometime during the song her smile had turned to one of bliss as she took in the lyrics. In the back of her mind she realized that right now the Iron Dragon was the most open he'd ever been with her, to allow a song that showed his bare feelings be laid out for her to take in and enjoy.

She would have felt honored if a few other realizations hadn't started surfacing in her mind…

"So a love song?" Levy smiled slyly, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Eh?" he narrowed his eyes at her expression.

"So… if you're writing a love song, that means you're in love, right?"

"What?! Absolutely not!"

"So who is she?" Levy grinned, dismissing the comment as if it hadn't even left his mouth.

"I said I don't… I just don't!" his cheeks flushed a bright color of red and he glared at her with such an intensity any other context might have made her flinch away from him.

"Oh come ooooon!" Levy leaned forward, her fingers interlacing as she thought, "You can tell me! I might be able to set you two up on a date!"

Gajeel snapped his teeth at her, a growl reverberating in his chest threateningly, "I ain't goin' on no damn date!"

"You don't seriously plan on letting that song go to waste, do you? Surely you want the woman you made it for to hear it?" she gave him a hard look and noticed him start to fidget agitatedly under her gaze, "See? Now come on, give me a name,"

"Fucking meddling cat," he growled, eyeing Lily with a look that could kill. Lily only smiled widely back at him.

"Tell the girl, Gajeel," Lily prodded his friend, a look of triumph on his features, "She wants to know,"

"You know what, both of you can piss off!" he growled, picking himself up and grabbing his guitar angrily.

"Where are you going?" Lily frowned, forming his wings to fly in front of his friend and halt his retreat.

"The hell away from you two!"

"Gajeel, wait!" Levy grabbed his arm, her fingers tingling slightly to the touch, "I… I won't bother you any more. Just… stay?"

He eyed her warily before letting out a resigned sigh. The two sat with their backs to the tree, Lily curled into a happy ball on Levy's lap as she started to read her book. Gajeel strummed some gentle melodies, occasionally humming to them as he sat with a thoughtful expression on his features. Before long, Levy found herself drifting off to sleep under the cool shade of the tree and leaned back against the cool bark.

"What was the name of that song again, Gajeel?" she murmured, her eyelids fluttering closed.

"…From Eden," his voice wasn't gruff but she was sure she heard a smile there.

"From Eden… I like it,"

For a moment, she considered what would happen if she were the one he'd written the song for. Butterflies stirred in the pit of her stomach and she fell asleep with a gentle smile curving her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>I would also like to take a moment to say:<strong>

**Thank you to ItscalledLove and xAmeHanax for your support over my fan fiction! Believe it or not, I really appreciate your reviews! Thank you so much! **

**And to ThreeDarkAngels, sorry for the lack of train fluff! I'm actually posting these chapters behind what I already have written because I have a tendency to slow down on my postings, so I actually have until chapter 17 written and didn't even think to add train fluff! I hope you still enjoy! **


	13. Chapter 13

A gentle rumbling noise brought Levy slowly out of her doze.

The grass was cool against her skin and before she even opened her eyes she could tell the sun had slipped close to the horizon. With a start, she realized that something had been draped over her and the rumbling was actually the sound of someone snoring. She blinked her eyes cautiously, catching a bit of the sunset's glare in her eyes.

She sucked in a quick breath.

Her head was lying on Gajeel's lap and his jacket covered her, keeping her warm against the chill of the evening. His arms were crossed and he was snoring quietly, his brow creased slightly in his sleep.

He shifted in his slumber, a quick shiver going through his body as the breeze brushed past them. She watched his serene expression, noticing how his brow twitched slightly due to the visions that were flashing across his eyelids. She wasn't sure why, but seeing him like this made him remind her of a little kid. He seemed perfectly at ease, but then she was sure if he was anything like Natsu, he'd slept outside many times with Metalicana when he was a child.

She pulled his jacket close to her chin, taking in the smell of his musk on the material. This just felt so natural, to be sleeping like this in his presence. Maybe she didn't really want to know who the song was written for. For some reason the thought of him serenading someone else made her stomach turn and a dull throb of hurt stab her chest. She hadn't really thought about her feelings for the Dragon Slayer as being anything besides friendly, but it seemed she was wrong. Snuggled into his warmth with him sleeping blissfully beside her, she realized she didn't want to share this with anyone else.

Idly, she brought her hand up to his face, hesitating slightly before ghosting over the metal studs that made up his eyebrow. His voice hummed quietly in his throat as she stroked each one individually and then moved to run her finger over the ones beside his nose. When one of his ruby eyes opened at her touch, she didn't flinch away. As strangely intimate the moment was, it seemed neither one of them wanted to break the spell that had fallen over them.

She could feel his hot breath brushing the skin of her hand.

"Am I bothering you?" she said quietly, her eyes skimming swiftly over the calm expression on his face.

"S'ok," he muttered, sighing as her fingers trailed down the studs on his chin.

"Did they hurt?"

He blinked at her for a moment and brought up his arm, and she turned onto her stomach and sat up on her elbows to watch him. He brought her hand up to the studs on his forearm and let her feel the strange warmth that they emitted.

"They're not piercings," he let her examine where they protruded from his skin, "It's a part of my skin, like how my skin turns to Iron Scales. Metalicana told me it was a side-effect from my type of Dragon Slayer magic,"

"Mmh," Levy was fascinated and he didn't seem to mind her curious fingers running across his arm. He watched her idly, wonder playing in the corners of his mind at her boldness. But he'd grown fond of feeling her tiny hands against him. They always seemed to put him at ease.

"I thought they'd be cold," she said quietly.

He closed his eyes then, his face turning almost stern as he concentrated. The magic circle cast them in a green light as his skin turned to metal scales. When the light dulled, his eyes fluttered back open and he looked down at her as she continued her investigation all the way down to his freshly taloned nails.

"You're not scared."

It was a statement, not a question, and Levy blinked at the realization of what he was saying. There was a time when his magic petrified her and never in her dreams had she imagined what was happening right now.

"I haven't been for a while,"

She ran her fingers over his scales, marveling at the silky smoothness of them. He was warm to the touch and she could feel his muscles flexing and relaxing casually underneath the new armor. Each scale was like freshly polished iron, reflecting her curious eyes back at her and catching the faint light of the sunset. Little pinpricks of light dotted her skin and climbed up the tree, tiny rainbows being formed as the light refracted. Something that she used to think could only destroy was actually beautiful beyond what she'd ever imagined.

"Strange little fairy,"

"I like to think it adds to my girlish charm," she smiled, looking up at his glistening eyes and catching the smirk hiding behind the blood red.

"Geehee, getting a little… conceited?" his smirk faltered as her hand ghosted up his shoulder to his collar, feeling its way down his breast to stop right above his heart. She could feel his heart beating beneath her palm and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"And here I thought you didn't have a heart,"

"So its still there?" his quip was half-baked and he knew it. As he stared down at her, he became extremely aware of just how close she was. The entire day had been a strange phenomenon to him and he had Lily to thank (or kill) for it. The song that he'd written hadn't been meant for anyone's ears, let alone hers. He thought he might loose it when she started asking him whom it was for, the nosy bookworm. When she'd fallen asleep against him the decision to give her his coat was strangely natural to a man who'd never offered such courtesies to a woman before. Now this?

He had to admit he'd gotten in this himself, really. When he'd woken up to her touch he should have made her stop then, but her strokes had been so gentle against his skin and he'd felt his heart start to race the more she continued. He hadn't even thought when he'd summoned his Iron Scales for her, didn't think there'd be consequences to her hands exploring the feel of his protective shield which did nothing to hide the emotions that were raging inside him now. He just loved the feel of her tiny fingers running against his flesh, craved more. And now her face was just inches away from his and her innocent curiosity was awakening something far from innocent within him.

He brought his hand to hers, stopping it from its decent down his abs and pulling it back to his chest, letting a tight sigh escape his lips as he did so.

"Levy…" the tone was supposed to be a warning, but it came to her ears low and husky and she felt her stomach start to tie into knots as she stared up into his glistening red eyes.

"Mmhn?" their faces were getting closer, edging forward without their consent. Her brain completely shut down when his breath whispered across her face. His half-lidded eyes held her prisoner and she could almost feel his hair against her cheek…

"Levy!"

They both froze and Levy's eyes widened.

"Levy! Where are you?" Lucy's voice was threateningly close and the two shot apart faster than Levy thought either of them could move. Levy's face immediately turned a dark shade of red and she averted her gaze from Gajeel and he feigned a cough as if it would hide the red creeping up his neck.

"I um… here's your jacket," she handed it to him hastily and snatched her book into her arms as if it would protect her from the embarrassment that was threatening to choke her.

"Y-yeah…" he threw it on quickly and stood, his scales disappearing as he did so.

"There you are!" Lucy walked up and then stopped when she realized Gajeel was there. Lily flew past her shoulder to land on the brooding Dragon Slayer's head, a grin slowly spreading across his features.

"There you are, Gajeel," Lily feigned concern, "I was looking for you,"

"Yeah? Where the hell have you been?" he growled, glaring at nowhere in particular.

"H-hey Luce," Levy smiled, fanning herself nervously, "What're you doing out here?"

"I… uh… Lily was looking for you?"

"Well I'm here," Levy fingered her book and glanced back at the quickly vanishing sun, "Goodness, look at how late it's gotten. I really need to watch how caught up I get in my reading. I should really start heading home I guess…"

"But…" Lucy couldn't finish as Levy was already hurrying off in the direction of Fairy Hills, smoothing her dress anxiously as she went.

"Have a good night, guys!" she waved, getting as far from sight as possible before Lucy started a barrage of questions. Pushing the evening as far from her mind as possible, she hurried home as fast as she could, not completely able to stifle the butterflies that were still driving her nerves insane.


	14. Chapter 14

"She's dear to him,"

"Aye, it would seem that way,"

"Brilliant,"

Silver hair glistened in the dulling light and a twisted smile spread across pale skin.

"The Solstice is almost upon us,"

* * *

><p>"Goddamn, good-for-nothing, meddlesome, sonofabitch cat…" Gajeel grumbled, glaring into his glass as if it were the reason for his sour mood. Levy hadn't visited the guild for the third day in a row now, and honestly, he didn't want to face her. That day under the tree he'd been blindsided in a way he almost couldn't believe. If it weren't for the tingling where her fingers had traced his skin and the searing blush that had made him sweat as if he'd committed a crime, he might've passed it off as a dream. But it wasn't a dream. It had all happened. <em>It. Had. All. Happened. <em>

Him singing the song he'd written for her _to her_.

Her tracing her inquisitive fingers across his flesh in a way that made gooseflesh cover his arms.

Their almost-kiss as the sun was dying…

He hadn't slept that night it all had happened. He'd bullied Lily around and made him sleep on the floor only to stay up all night staring at the ceiling in a cool, nervous sweat. And when he did happen to sleep? The dreams that had manifested had him all but moaning her name at the remembrance of her hands searing his flesh in heart-pounding ecstasy. He almost felt guilty.

Almost.

But what he did feel was irritated beyond hell.

_NEVER _had he _EVER _thought he'd fall for someone. He just wasn't that type of guy. He was the type of guy that the girl took home only to wake up cold in bed when he left sometime during the night.

Had he ever cared about that before?

Absolutely not.

So then why did this tiny blue-haired mage have him so wrapped around her little finger it was pathetic? How had he allowed this to happen? And now he was reduced to nothing shy from her guard dogs, sulking at the bar with not nearly enough alcohol in his system as his mind kept retracing over that night and making his stomach turn into festering knots while he watched the doors.

Three days she hadn't come to the guild.

Dear god he fucked up.

"Eeeeey, Gajeel!" Cana's drunken slur reached him from across the room, "Whya lookin' so pissy for? Come over 'ere and let Cana give you a good liftin' up!"

After Gajeel had refused to speak to Lily the next day, the Exceed must have realized that Gajeel was more than just agitated. Whether he was hiding from the Dragon Slayer's wrath or trying to give his friend space to cool down, the little black panther had decided to round up Happy and Carla and visit some of the other Exceeds, which suited Gajeel just fine. If he had to see that smug grin one more time…

"Gajeel! I know you ain't ignorin' meh!"

"Fuck off, ya loud-mouthed drunk," Gajeel growled, turning his angry glare towards her. She just laughed haughtily at him and downed another mug of booze.

"Oh, lighten uuup!" she smiled widely, "I know… wanna loose another drinking contest?"

"What was that?" Gajeel bristled.

"Ya heard meh!" she laughed, "Unless you're scared, Mighty Iron Dragon?"

Damn him and his ability to get pissed and drunk. Once again, the bitch drank him under the table leaving him to wobble shamelessly out of the guild while she was cooing drunkenly after his sorry hide.

Damn Cana.

Damn her ability to get him wasted in less than 15 minutes flat.

Damn Lily for pissing him off in the first place.

And damn the ground for wobbling under his feet so he trips and face plants in the middle of the sidewalk dead at night because the sun can't stay up long enough and now he's laying on the ground not sure which way to push his legs to get up not that they're doing what he wants them to anyway and why is he even out in the first place and which way was home again what the fuck.

_Oh hell, I'm going to be sick…_

"G-Gajeel!"

"WHAT?!" he snapped, staring up at the sky hoping the world would stop wobbling around him. Was it just him or where the stars shaking?

"You… you're drunk!"

"Waddaya want? A fucking medal?"

Oh shit, he was gonna be sick, oh fuck.

An exasperated sigh and then a tiny hand was thrust at his face. He eyed it steadily, the only thing that wasn't swaying in the world around him.

"Come on, I'll help you home,"

"I DON NE-!"

"Yes, yes, you don't need help. Just grab my hand," blue curls tumbled into his vision as Levy leaned down to look him in the face. Her eyebrows were scrunched and she gave him a sour look.

"Yer mad." Ok, maybe not mad, but agitated. He could still _smell_, at least… unless that was off too. Nah, she was definitely mad, as mad as a Shrimp could get, anyway.

She sighed, grabbing his hand and attempting to pull him up, "Not mad, just wondering why in the world you're lying in the middle of the street at night drunk as a skunk,"

"Cuz I wannabe…" he hoisted himself up to lean on her, sending them both tumbling against the wall, her knocking her head on the bricks and him steading himself with arms on either side of her tiny body.

"Gajeel! Be careful!" she groaned, scrunching her nose as she looked up at him.

"Geehee… you're cute when you're angry…"

Well that wasn't meant to actually come out… eh, what the fuck, maybe it was.

"Now I know you're drunk," she glared up at him, but he didn't budge.

"I think it when I'm sober too,"

Ok, that _really_ wasn't supposed to come out. Shit.

Her face turned a dark shade of red and she shoved him away from her, glaring and muttering something as she did. He steadied himself on his feet for a moment, his head still swimming.

"I'm hungry,"

"You're incorrigible,"

"Big words coming from a small girl,"

"Do you even know what it means?!"

"I'm still hungry…"

Levy heaved another agitated sigh and summoned some iron for him, which he ate in a heartbeat. He teetered a little less on his feet but was soon staggering again as he attempted to go home.

"Why do you let Cana do this to you?" Levy clicked her tongue in disdain as the Dragon Slayer tripped on air and stumbled into a streetlamp, clinging onto it as if his life depended on it.

"Who said it was Cana?" he grinned, sniffing the streetlamp to determine its metal. Aluminum. Well, fuck.

"You did, while you were stumbling around earlier,"

Was that out loud too? Oops.

"Maybe I wanted to get drunk. You dunno,"

After another ten minutes of useless arguing, Levy finally got the Iron Mage to lean on her as she walked him back to his apartment. Fortunately, the night was warm and there were few people on the streets so late at night. After several minutes of his senseless drunken speech, she was glad when they finally made it to his home.

"You're going to have such a hangover tomorrow," Levy muttered as he half-leaned half-dragged her through the apartment to his bedroom.

"I don get hungover," he growled, falling onto the queen-sized bed with an audible plop. His arm was still anchored around her waist and he drug her, flailing, onto the bed with him. She could hear him _'geeheeing' _into her hair and jumped at the feel of his nose against the back of her neck.

"G-Gajeel!" she gasped when he pulled her closer and nuzzled into her, his studded brows pulling at her curls, "Let me up!"

"Nope."

She tried to struggle free but his grip around her was like an iron vice and try as she might she couldn't get free. When she finally stopped she could feel him purring behind her as he continued to nuzzle her. Butterflies started to ricochet in her stomach at his nearness.

"Geehee, you smell delicious…"

A shiver went down her spine. _WHAT?!_

She could feel his lips brushing against the side of her neck and her back started to arch at the sensation it gave her.

"Gajeel! What are you…?"

"Your heart is beating kinda fast, Shrimp. Is there a reason why?"

She could feel his fanged smile against her skin and her heart jumped into her throat. Her mind immediately went to what she'd read in the book about Dragon Slayers he'd let her borrow. Specifically pertaining to mates…

His voice turned low and husky, "You know, we never got to finish what we started the other day…"

…about how male dragons bite their mates in order to claim them and the repercussions of such an action…

"W-what do you mean?" she was breathless and could feel his lips and teeth brushing the back of her neck.

…about pheromones and chemical reactions in the body and _mating_…

"You know exactly what I mean,"

"I-I… umh… aahh!"

His breath ghosted against her skin as his hands travelled down to her hips. She was suddenly aware of how high her skirt had been hiked up when he'd flung her unto the bed and how his breathing was starting to turn into lusty growls in his chest.

"Levy…" he growled, turning her to face him, "I want to kiss you,"

"Gajeel… I don't…"

His hand was sliding down her spine and it made her arch towards him. His sculpted body could almost collapse around her it was so huge. His hands were precise and knew where to caress her to make her react to him. She was trembling to his contact and he hadn't even kissed her yet!

Her better judgment was telling her to tell him no, that he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing. She didn't want him to wake up tomorrow morning and wonder what she was doing in his bed. If he was going to take her first kiss, she wanted him to be sober.

But there was an ever-growing voice that didn't want him to stop…

"I'm going to kiss you," he growled, closing the distance between them before she had time to stop him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning:**** this chapter contains rated M content! Not suitable for 16 and under audiences (because if I'm honest, I was reading this type of thing at 16). Anyway, this is some lovely smut for the people who are into that kind of thing and an annoying - yet inevitable - chapter for people who aren't. So, before you continue just know that this isn't something you really have to read for plot. You won't be missing anything big if you skip that chapter. That out of the way, I hope you enjoy! R&R!**

* * *

><p>Despite the smell of alcohol that stung her nose, his kiss was sweet against her lips. His lips were hot against hers and they captured her over and over again in gentle kisses that grew hungrier with each application. He brought up a hand to tilt her head back and his thumb was running down the soft flesh of her neck. Her brain couldn't think, it was as if he were eating her senses alive. Despite what her voice of reason was saying, she was moaning into his deepening embrace and he was taking it to full advantage.<p>

He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and bit it mischievously as a lusty groan made his throat shudder. His hands were strong and experienced, knowing exactly how to turn her to mush with each ghosting touch. He was on top of her, forcing his tongue past her lips to explore her mouth. She could taste him like a spice in her mouth and couldn't stop herself from responding to his probing. Her fingers were intertwined in his hair, keeping him from releasing her from the ecstasy that was slowly turning her core into molten lava.

His hand drifted past her knee and continued up to grab her upper thigh, his thumb dangerously close to her heat. She felt her stomach bunch and gasped, releasing him from the kiss as she arched her back to his rough touch. His mouth found its way to her jaw and started making it way to her neck. His lips trailed hot kisses down her flesh and she could feel his tongue sliding across her skin. Fear started to coil in her stomach when she felt his fangs brushing the sensitive skin at the base of her throat and she weakly tried to push him away.

"Gajeel!" she was breathless, her body not wanting to stop even though reason was screaming at her to keep him from going farther. His tongue trailed hotly against her, making her moan as her protests stuck in her throat. He kissed her gently on her collar, a spot that made her skin burst into sensitive shivers. His canines were threatening her porcelain skin once again and he grabbed one of her wrists with his hand to hold her back from pushing him away again.

She arched against him as his knee slid in between her legs and her heart started to pound nervously in her chest. He was going to do it; he was going to mark her with a bite that would bind her to him forever.

"Gajeel! Stop!" she gasped, her breathing still coming in lustful puffs.

He growled, his lips shuddering against her and he lifted his head up to look into her eyes. His eyes were like liquid rubies and she could see the desire dancing in his irises. Briefly, she wondered if he could even recognize what she was saying since he was so drunk, if he would even consider what 'stop' meant.

"I don wanna," he growled, clutching her thigh harshly in a way that made her moan in ecstasy as heat suddenly flared in her core, "and you don't either,"

His head dipped down and she jumped in surprise. She felt his tongue start from the hem of her dress and continue up her collar so he could nibble a hot line up her jaw to her ear. She was shuddering underneath him as his tongue ran over her earlobe.

"Tell me to stop…" he growled, his hand releasing her wrist so he could trail his fingers down her collar to cup her breast over the fabric. She was gasping, the pleasures on her skin too much as if clouded her mind and sent her senses into overdrive. He pulled down the top of her dress, exposing her to his curious fingers and his lips started their hot trail down her neck again.

"Gajeel… please…" she whimpered, the sound weak as his menstruations burned her skin like fire, "Don't leave any marks…"

She could feel his growl as it shook his chest and she flinched away from him slightly, thinking she'd made him angry. But his eyes were filled with lust and he did as she wished, leaving her neck to trail down her chest, in the process issuing a whole new wave of sensations over her. She felt his strong arms lift her off the ground as he kissed her and she couldn't find it in her to stop him as his hand tore down the zipper that held up her dress.

Her dress was gone in an instant and he was over her, his eyes sweeping over her barren form. Her face and skin was flushed with passion and she was still gasping beneath him. Suddenly, his hands were pulling away her bra and fondling her breasts hungrily. She moaned beneath him, her hands gripping his large biceps frantically. He was kissing her breasts roughly and sliding his tongue over her nipples, causing an enticing moan to escape her lips.

Her mind was fuzzy and each touch was sending her to new heights. She almost didn't realize when his lips were trailing down her chest and naval while he was hooking his fingers on her underwear.

"Gajeel! Don't!" she sucked in a breath when his tongue licked just over the waistband of her underwear. She was shaking with desire as he bit into the fabric, pulling it down with his teeth to reveal her womanhood to him. She tried to close her knees but his strong hands kept them apart. When she felt his warm tongue sliding against her heat she gasped and arched her back, an unneeded encouragement to the Iron Dragon Slayer. He licked up and down her folds, thoroughly enjoying her taste on his tongue as her moans quickly turned into much more animalistic cries.

Levy could feel herself soaring higher and higher, and unfamiliar feeling coiling in the pit of her stomach as he pleasured her. She felt his fingers slide into her, each digit making her let loose screams of his name. She went from struggling for him to stop to begging him to continue, no longer caring if he remembered what had happened between them the next morning. All she could think about was how it felt for his fingers to move inside of her and his tongue pushing against her sensitive clit.

Her fingers grabbed fistfuls of his hair and she screamed as she suddenly tumbled over her high, pleasure rocking her body in glorious waves. While she was still trying to catch her breath, he pulled his shirt off to reveal his sweat-covered chest. He sat back on his heels and she could see how his red eyes glazed over in lust as he threw his shirt on the floor. She rubbed her knees together anxiously as he started to undo his pants.

"Gajeel…" she whispered, gaining his attention and he stopped, his eyes looking her form up and down as he waited for her to continue, "I'm… I'm tired,"

She wasn't lying, but that wasn't her reason for making him stop. She hadn't thought that they'd have gone this far, and although she didn't regret it, she didn't want to continue knowing there was a possibility he wouldn't remember the next day due to the alcohol still in his system.

"I'm sorry…" she began, hugging herself as he watched her, an increasingly frustrated expression coming to his features.

He mumbled something and stormed off to the bathroom. For a moment she sat up, contemplating whether or not she should leave, and then he returned in nothing but boxers and climbed in bed next to her. Gruffly turning her to face away from him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close enough to him that he could rest his chin on the top of her head.

"Gajeel?" she whispered.

"Mmh?" he grunted, nuzzling the top of her head.

"Um… goodnight…"

"Night, Levy," he sighed against her hair.

He was snoring not moments later and she quickly followed suit with a small smile finding its way to her lips.


	16. Chapter 16

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Gajeel lay on the floor in complete dismay, shock and horror plastering his face with a gaping mouth and bulging eyes at what was lying in his bed. Levy was curled in a ball under his sheets wearing only her underwear with her hair completely disheveled.

Oh dear god.

What the fuck.

Gajeel wracked his brains, trying desperately to catch bits and pieces of what had happened last night. His fingers interlaced in his hair and he yanked it nervously.

He couldn't remember.

Why the _fuck _couldn't he remember?

He'd raped her. That must've been what had happened, right? What other reason would there be for her being in _his_ bed covered in _his _scent and _his _love marks and her clothes being tossed everywhere on _his _floor? She must have found him passed out somewhere and tried to help him home and he'd forced her into bed with him and ravaged her tiny body like an animal against her will. That was something he'd do: take advantage of someone's kindness in the worst way possible.

For god's sakes _why couldn't he remember?!_

Cana! Cana had started it! They'd had a drinking contest and he'd lost and left the guild. He had been angry and had been trying to get home...

Then what?

He shut his eyes against the black void that seemed to be his recent memory and took a steadying breath. He rolled his shoulders and tried to relax. Freaking the fuck out was going to get him nowhere.

Ok. Logic.

If he'd raped her, she wouldn't still be laying in his bed, right? She probably would have waited until he passed out and left in the middle of the night, probably stayed the night with Jet and Droy or Bunny Girl or _someone_ and he wouldn't have slept in past noon because someone would have beat down his door to kick his ass already. So more than likely it was safe to say he hadn't forced what had happened last night.

Which meant it was consensual.

His heart skipped a beat at that. He hastily shook it off, not allowing himself to get caught up in that particular detail (as nice as it sounded).

Because if it was consensual he had another big problem on his hands.

Levy wasn't like the other women he'd had relations with. He didn't consider her someone to just have his way with and leave. He had feelings for her. Deep feelings that he wasn't sure he was willing to admit to even himself yet, let alone her. But that didn't mean his drunken self was so reserved… obviously.

So now the question arose: while he was having his way with her last night, had he marked her?

"Gajeel…" he froze when she murmured his name, wondering if she'd waken up. She just turned restlessly in her sleep and settled again, this time nuzzling into his pillow as a tiny smile spread gently across her face.

Cautiously, he stood and walked over to the bed. He leaned over her and gently lifted her locks away from her neck and…

A sigh of relief.

He hadn't marked her.

"Mnh…" Levy stirred again, her eyes parting open just slightly, "Gajeel…?"

His eyes widened as her met his, still full of sleep as she searched for him. He couldn't find the words to respond to her as she stared up at him, a smile slowly spreading across her features to light her eyes.

And suddenly it all vanished.

"G-Gajeel!" she sat up so quickly her head hit his in her flurry to gather the covers around herself. He tumbled back away from her, clutching his forehead and cussing profusely.

"God Dammit!" he growled, his face heating up furiously.

"I-I-I-I… I… U-um…" she turned deep crimson from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck, or what he could see of her neck now that she was gripping the blankets to her as if her life depended on it, "I-I'm sorry. I found you on the street and you were drunk and I went to walk you home and…"

Her words suddenly caught in her throat as she stammered, "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't be here, should I?"

"Woah, woah, woah, woah!" Gajeel put both his hands out as if he were stopping a train – and he felt like he was, "_You_ shouldn't be sorry for anything!"

She froze then, staring at him with large eyes as her hands twisted his blankets nervously. _His blankets…_

"Fucking hell!" he felt like punching a wall he was so angry and embarrassed and confused. She stared at him, flinching away from him as he simmered, unable to tell exactly why he was angry. Frustrated, he pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed out slowly, desperately trying to calm down.

"I fucked up," he said at length, not meeting her gaze, "I fucked up big time,"

Her gaze didn't waver, but he could smell tears beginning to gather in the corners of her eyes.

"L-listen…" he felt horror start to grip him. On top of everything else, he was going to make her cry. Perfect, "Don't cry, please, don't cry… I just meant, I did something wrong. I know it. I don't even want to think about it, but I'm sorry, ok? If I…" he swallowed hard as her eyes slowly started to process what he was saying, "If I… if this… I did anything to you… that is…"

"W-what?"

"Shit, Levy! I raped you, didn't I?!" his stomach lurched at the words that he had just said. Fuck, he was going to throw up. And she just sat there, a stunned look on her face while his heart was hammering coldly in his chest.

"Oh… um…" she blushed again, turning her face away from him.

"I did…" dread curled its fingers tightly around his heart and he felt something start to knot in his throat, "Oh god… Levy… I'm so sorry…"

"Gajeel… calm down…"

"What do you mean calm down?!" he felt like he was going to cry for the first time since Metalicana had left him, "Why aren't you upset? You should be pissed at me! Hell, why are you even still here?!"

He felt like pulling his hair out and he leaned against the wall, his muscles constricting so tightly he started to shake. Pointless rage started to bubble up inside him. He shut his eyes against his own anger, trying to contain the metal that was boiling in his stomach.

Suddenly, two tiny arms snaked around his waist and curls brushed against his chest. He looked down in surprise at the top of a blue head of hair that was burying itself into his torso. He held his arms up and away from her awkwardly, feeling if he touched her he'd break her. Was she seriously trying to comfort him? Shouldn't this be the other way around or something?

"Calm down," she murmured against his skin, tilting her face up to his, "and let me explain,"

He dropped his arms and met her gaze. Her eyes were serious but unafraid as she gazed up at him.

She took a deep breath, "You don't remember anything, do you?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I thought that might happen, since you know…" she blushed slightly as she trailed off and looked away from his face, choosing instead to study his arms and the tiny finger-shaped marks that dotted his skin. _Her_ finger-shaped marks, "Everything that happened, I let happen. You didn't hurt me,"

He was stunned, completely and utterly stunned. For a moment he thought he hadn't heard her right.

"I didn't… hurt you…"

"Not in the least,"

Relief flooded through him instantaneously and he dared to hug her back, a gesture that even surprised him. He heard her gasp when he tucked his face into her neck, drawing her so close their bare chests were touching. He sank to the ground, causing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he let all of his tension suddenly release.

He hadn't hurt her.

"Gajeel?" she murmured while petting the top of his head gently, concern clear in her voice, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he breathed, letting her scent fill his lungs, "I'm just… I don't know what I'd do if I'd hurt you again,"

"Really, I'm fine," she smiled into his black mane, appreciating the moment for all it was worth, "You don't have to worry,"

"Yeah. I know," he whispered, closing his eyes and nuzzling against her soft skin, "But at this point, I don't think I can stop,"

"Maybe you don't have to," her voice was quiet and meek, and he could hear her heartbeat quicken.

He pulled away from her then, taking a chance at looking down at her beautiful figure before him. The pink had never left her cheeks but her eyes were filled with a silent wish, a wish he had secretly been having himself. He brought his head down to rest against hers, her eyes blocking out the world around them.

Without warning or hesitation, he kissed her lips gently, bringing a large calloused hand up to cup the side of her face. Her head leaned against his caress and she sighed into his kiss, letting her insides melt at the feel of his lips against hers. When he released her, her head was reeling and she met his half-lidded ruby eyes tenderly. His fangs glinted from his slightly opened mouth and his breath fell across her face as he held her gaze, all the fear and worry from just moments before gone from his eyes.

Neither was sure of how long they stayed in each others' arms like that, all they knew is that they didn't have any desire for the moment to end.


	17. Chapter 17

Gajeel strolled down the dark streets of Magnolia surprisingly deep in thought. He hadn't been able to sleep. He'd been tossing and turning all night, unable to calm himself enough to drift off. The reason why, he wasn't quite sure, all he knew was that it had to do with Levy.

They hadn't announced their partnership to the guild in a flashy display but even so word went around quickly that the pair had turned into a couple. There had been some resistance from Jet and Droy; both of which were infuriated by the news, but Levy had smoothed things over with her daring whit and charming smile in just a few hours, a feat that deeply surprised the Iron Mage. Bunny girl had gushed of course, adoring the thought of Levy and him being together and Natsu held an envious gaze, lacking the guts it took to get Lucy's attention.

Gajeel let out a sigh and chanced a look up at the clear sky, making out faint pinpricks of light being drowned out by the shine of the city.

Things had just been so… good. There'd never been a time when he'd felt so utterly content with the world around him. In Phantom Lord, yeah he'd been at the top, but he'd always craved more power, more fights, and more blood. It was a never-ending cycle of destroy, search, and destroy. He'd wrapped himself in a brooding shadow, both physically and mentally, to stave off anything that got in his way with being the best and he did anything to achieve what he thought meant power.

_Like pinning Levy to a tree…_

He shook his head, driving away the thought before it rooted itself in his heart and started to fester. That was the past, and Levy had forgiven him faster than he could have ever hoped for. Letting it control him only hurt her, something she'd made very clear to him.

To say she was like his Sun wasn't quite right. No, she was more like the stars fighting through his constant night to reach him. When she'd started to get close, he'd drowned her out with bright lights like anger, regret, and his constant desire to prove he wasn't the same Gajeel who everyone still cast leery glances at. But when they found themselves alone, those lights dulled and faded, leaving only her in all her brilliance to light his way in the dark, offering silent insight on questions he didn't even know he had.

She was amazing, and maybe she wasn't as strong as the sun or moon, often drowned out by their presence, she still held a place in the sky that would take his breath away. And where the sun was blinding to the eye and harsh to the weary traveller and the moon was cold and lonely, she was constant and sweet, peppering his life's sky with nothing but quiet love and brilliance.

He stopped walking finally, his feet having carried him far from town to a small hill not far from Fairy Hills. A small figure sat on its crest, staring idly at the sky above her. A grin crept across his face at the sight of her blue locks shimmering under the faint light the night sky had to offer.

Maybe that was why he couldn't sleep tonight.

He approached her from behind stealthily, trying not to disturb whatever thoughts were going through her head at that moment. He let himself slide behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. She didn't utter a word of concern or alarm at the action, recognizing the strong arms that held her immediately. He let his chin rest on top of her head, both of their gazes cast towards the stars and the dim light on the eastern horizon.

"Couldn't sleep?" he mumbled into her hair.

"No. You?"

"Nope,"

They sat in silence for a while, watching the dim haze turn stronger with the passing time. She shifted comfortably in his arms, allowing herself to lean against his strong form. He heard her let out a contented sigh.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly. He liked how her mind worked, so different from his own. His thoughts were always tactical and methodical; he could take apart a situation in seconds and put it back together again. He'd learned how to function like that when he was in Phantom Lord, needed an edge in order to stay on top of the greedy wizards in line to take him down. Street knowledge. That was what he had.

Levy was totally different. She was innocent and took things for what they were. She didn't feel the need to contemplate people's reactions because she didn't fight like that. She was like a paper boat floating in the ocean, sitting on top of an unending amount of information and she only needed to dip her hands into the cool waves to bring up what see needed. Because of this she was contemplative, her mind always wandering from one topic to the next as she deliberated about the world around her.

_Like a river, never stopping and seeming to go on forever. _

"I was thinking about us, actually,"

"Oh?"

"Yeah… what brought us to where we are now, I mean,"

He pulled his arms closer around her against the chilly breeze that had picked up. Her skin was cold against him and she snuggled into his embrace.

"What about it?"

"Its just… we hated each other once, didn't we? When you were a part of Phantom Lord, you hated me, and I you after…" she paused, not wanting to bring up what she knew to be a touchy subject, "But then you joined Fairy Tail, and that disappeared. We even became friends and now this. I guess I just never thought we'd happen until we did."

He was silent for a while, taking in her words. He could feel her tensing in between his arms, no doubt thinking she'd offended him. Even looking down on her, he could see her mind working through a way to change what she said. He kissed the top of her blue curls, making her stop immediately.

"I never hated you," he said at length, making her jump in his arms, "it might have been better, though, if I had."

"How so?" there it was, that daring curiosity that got her into endless trouble. Even when it came to things like this, she always wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"It would mean there was a reason for what I did to you that night," he leaned back on his hands, staring once again up at the sky. He didn't like talking about these things, "But I didn't. I took out my anger on you because you were there. If it had been Cana, or Macao, or even Natsu that had been walking down that street that night, I would have gone after them too,"

"Mm," she was thinking again, "Why?"

"I was being a good dog for my master. When he felt threatened by someone or needed someone to help him in his climb to be the best guild, I'd do what I thought he'd like,"

"Jose wasn't a very good man,"

"Neither was I,"

"So now what do you do?"

The question caught him off guard and he sat in silence for a while, trying to figure out an answer. She waited patiently, allowing him to sift through himself for an answer.

"I guess I found a new cause to fight for,"

"Really?" there was a strange tilt to her voice, almost like she was disappointed. He smirked down at her, constricting his knees around her playfully.

"Yeah,"

She turned around and their eyes met and she caught the meaningful look in his ruby red orbs. She smiled up at him, an unspoken knowledge keeping them in their comfortable silence. He leaned down and kissed her gently, allowing his tongue to travel across her lips before he drew back.

"C'mon, I'll walk you back to Fairy Hills," he nudged her with his nose and she reluctantly stood, sleep now clear in her eyes as they began their journey.

"Gajeel?"

"Mm?"

"I… I love you,"

He ruffled her hair and held the gate open for her, "You too, Short Stuff,"


	18. Chapter 18

_SMACK!_

The sound echoed off the walls of the guildhall and made everyone stop in their tracks. Every head turned to the farthest part of the guild where two figures stood by the request board.

Gajeel's eyes were wide and he stared at Levy dumbfounded. His cheek was starting to redden in the shape of a small handprint and he bit down on his tongue to keep from yelling something he'd regret. Instead he just stared down at her, his staggered expression starting to tarnish with anger as she glared up at him, her fists shaking.

Without a word, she turned on her heel and left, storming out of the guild without a glance back.

All eyes turned to the Dragon Slayer whose hands balled into fists as he tried to contain that anger bubbling in his chest.

"Gajeel?" Pantherlily walked up to him slowly, as if he'd turn on him the instant he got to close.

Gajeel forced his eyes closed, "What the hell, Pantherlily,"

"I don't-"

"_What the hell, Pantherlily_!"

"Gajeel. Calm yourself."

Gajeel spun around, his eyes burning as he stared at the Exceed, "WHAT THE HELL DID I DO?!"

"Lower your voice,"

"_Lower my voice?! _She just smacked me for no goddamned reason!"

"I'm sure that's not the case,"

Gajeel was seething. He kicked the request board down in order to blow some steam and stormed over to a table in the corner, too angry to leave in case he ran into her on his way home. Because something shitty like that would happen.

Lily followed cautiously, hopping up next to the enraged Iron Mage.

"Tell me what happened,"

* * *

><p>Levy stormed out of the guildhall, her hand tingling where it had made contact with Gajeel's cheek. In all honesty, she thought she was overreacting, not that she'd ever let <em>him<em> know that. He was just so pig-headed and stubborn.

It was a simple question. For him to go on a mission with her and Team Shadow Gear. They were going to leave tomorrow and she had wanted him to come with them. What was the harm in that? But he'd looked at the request and she'd seen the disdain on his face before he'd even opened his mouth.

She'd dealt with it all she could manage. He probably didn't even realize it was happening so it really wasn't his fault. He was an idiot and stubborn to a fault but he was still understanding. If she had just explained he probably would have understood. But she was angry and had acted out of impulse and pent up frustration.

"Stupid Gajeel," she ground through her teeth, unwilling to admit that she was at fault.

Ever since she and Gajeel had started their relationship she'd been getting resistance from Jet and Droy. Droy at least tried to be understanding. He'd pursued her once in the past but had left it at her first rejection, not wanting to bother her more with the issue. Jet, on the other hand, had been enraged. Ever since they'd started dating he'd been rude and harsh to her. She'd taken it knowing he was hurt and had tried to deal with it without Gajeel knowing. Then he started attacking Gajeel and picking at old wounds that had been put to rest.

_"You're serious? Maybe you forgave him, Levy, but that doesn't change what he did. You may be willing to forgive him for what he did to you, but are you seriously ok with what he did to Lucy? And us? Do we really mean that little to you?"_

Tears started to sting the corners of her eyes.

_"That's not it, Jet. He's different and he's sorry."_

_"Sorry doesn't cut it, Levy. He's nothing but a stubborn thug who knows how to play his cards right to look good. He hasn't changed since the day he hung you on that tree."_

"That's not true," she choked out, stopping in the grass and looking down at her feet.

Then Gajeel got that look, a look she'd seen before. It was annoyed and derisive, and his eyes had been put in just the right light in that instant to remind her of that night. He hadn't meant to be hurtful, she was sure.

_"Do you honestly think those two can handle a mission like that, Levy? They can hardly keep you safe as it is…"_

And she'd smacked him.

Not because of his words or because he'd been irritated when he'd said them but because of the memory it had brought back when he'd spoken the words. Because of the gleam in his eyes that for some reason reminded her of the way he'd looked at Jet and Droy when they hadn't been able to keep her safe.

Like they weren't adequate.

She'd smacked him because of a memory. A memory that had been locked away and forgotten until Jet's harsh words had made her upset and he'd asked her to choose between Team Shadow Gear and Gajeel.

She sat on the ground, her fingers clutching her skirt as she tried to hold back the hopeless tears that were springing to her eyes.

"Stupid Gajeel," she sniffed, "Stupid Jet,"

"Excuse me, miss,"

She jumped up; quickly wiping her eyes as she tried to hide the fact she'd been about to cry.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she twirled around and looked up at the tall figure before her. Her eyes widened for a moment as she found herself gazing into brilliant blue irises.

"Miss McGarden?"

Long silver hair ruffled gracefully in the summer breeze as he stared down at her, a sickly sweet smile on his lips.

"Y-yes, Mr…?"

"Antoine Brewer," he bowed low, his silver hair sweeping down over his shoulders as he did so, "I'm not sure you remember me…"

"Oh yes," she forced a smile, "I did research for your father."

"Precisely," he smiled, his blue eyes glistening in the light, "I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you on the matter,"

"Of course," she told herself everything was fine but an uneasy feeling started making her stomach feel sour. Gajeel hadn't like him when he'd met him, which held weight in her eyes. But why…?

"Do you mind if we go on a walk?" he smiled, holding his arm out for her to hold onto.

"U-um… sure,"

"Splendid,"


	19. Chapter 19

Gajeel stalked out of the guild still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. Lily had talked him out of his rage and had gotten his side of the story. It's funny how sometimes an outsider's view can make an entire situation change.

Gajeel had known something had been bothering her for a few days now. She had a sad look in her eyes that didn't seem to match up with her words or actions. Even when she tried to escape in her books he could see it, lingering in the darker parts of her face. She didn't cry, didn't draw attention to the fact that something was wrong, but he knew. He just figured she'd talk to him sooner or later. Levy was fickle like that. She liked to figure things out on her own.

_"Maybe she needs help with this, Gajeel. Maybe this is something you two need to work through together,"_

Lily's words had struck a cord with him. If he wanted this to work, if he wanted her to stay his and become his mate, they needed to figure this out. Together.

But he'd be lying he said he wasn't worried.

Because what if what she needed to work out wasn't a problem with Jet and Droy? What if it was something that had to do with him?

Like their relationship entirely.

He shook his head, clearing the thought from his head and tightening his jaw. If she wanted to end things, so be it. He'd manage. It wasn't like he couldn't find another girl.

Except that Dragons only have one mate throughout their life.

And he was about 99.9% sure she was it.

"Gajeel!"

"Eh?" he turned his head to see Jet running at top speed towards him. He stopped just a few feet from him, leaning down onto his knees and panting.

"Ga… jeel… Levy… that guy…"

Gajeel's eyes narrowed, "What about Levy and some guy?"

"The silver haired guy… from the mission…"

"Spit it out!" his skin was starting to prickle with anger and impatience.

"He kidnapped Levy!"

Gajeel suddenly felt like all of his air had been sucked from his lungs and for a brief moment, everything in his world suddenly crashed like broken glass around him. Jet's face filled with alarm when he saw the look in Gajeel's eyes; complete devastation turning into ferocious rage. Fear was something he'd never seen in Gajeel's face before, and now he knew why. It was fully and completely converted into uncontrollable, bloodthirsty malice.

"Where did he go?" his pupils turned into animalistic slits and his fangs enlarged.

"U-um… this way. Come on,"

* * *

><p>Levy let out a sigh as she began to come to. Her head was pounding and it made her want to get sick. Gentle sunlight was filtering down on her face and briefly she wondered if she'd fallen asleep under a tree somewhere.<p>

_No that's not right…_

Her mind fought the unnatural fogginess that was keeping her under. She tried to bring her hands up to rub her face but they wouldn't move and she slowly began to process the fact that they were tied down along with her ankles.

_Antoine Brewer. That's right._

He'd come up to her and offered his arm, but as soon as she had grasped it, she felt her magical energy being sucked out of her. His smile was gentle as his blue eyes looked down at her and she struggled to get away. He'd shushed her, told her to calm down, but he was stealing her magic. Her legs had buckled first and he'd held her arms to his, unrelenting even as black started to edge into her vision.

She gasped and opened her eyes, flinching as the sun's light made her head throb even more. She recognized where she was immediately when she realized there were ten large stone pillars piercing the clear sky above her. The runes had been freshly carved and the slabs had been repainted. She gasped when she heard a shuffling from somewhere to her right and she twisted her head to see the man who had captured her.

His icy stare bit into her and that disgusting smile came back to his face, "I take it you're feeling a tad bit better?"

"Let me go!" she gave him the most venom-filled glare she possibly could but he merely shrugged it off.

"Unfortunately I can't," his smile turned slightly sour as he stood to walk up to her, "You're far too important,"

"What do you want with me?" her voice didn't shake as he leaned over her, two hands landing softly on either side of her. Everything he did was graceful but malicious. He reminded her of a bird of prey, watching its kill with a calculating eye, so much like Gajeel but also strikingly different.

"It actually has very little to do with you, little one, even though you'll be playing a crucial role," he sighed, his breath falling in her face as a cold mist, "Who I need is the Dragon Slayer,"

"Gajeel?" she gasped, her blood running cold. She remembered how he'd acted the last time he was at this place. He'd been frantic, almost panicked, "Why?"

He sat down beside her, his silver hair falling from his shoulders to graze her skin, "Surely you know of the Dragon, Achnologia?"

He took her silence as an answer and continued.

"Well, long ago, the great Black Dragon was once himself a Dragon Slayer. Zeref transformed him into the amazing beast that he is now, but he lost control of his creation. No he roams the land, destroying everything that gets in his way… Sad, in a way,"

"What does Gajeel have to do with any of this?"

Antoine's smile faded as he looked down at her, "Well, Achologia is roaming Fiore. It's only a matter of time before he decides to strike down entire towns for none other than the sheer pleasure. So, we're going to make a counter-attack, per se."

"You… you can't…" horror clutched at Levy's heart.

"Oh, we can. And we will,"

"But, why? Why him?" if it had been Lucy they'd taken, she would have been able to get free and able to keep Nastu away. But Levy's magic only worked when her hands were free and she had no way of warning Gajeel.

"Mr. Redfox is different than the other Dragon Slayers. Given his past, he doesn't care about getting his hands dirty. His loyalty is astounding, so there's no doubt he'll come for you. The Wind Slayer is too young to be able to withstand the transformation, and Salamander lacks the cunning to deal with a foe such as Achnologia. No, the moment I met Black Steel, I knew he was the man we needed," his eyes took on an almost mournful look, "Sadly, you'll not see him when he's changed."

"What?"

"No matter what happens tonight, Ms. McGarden, your life is going to end," her eyes widened and she felt numb, "It's nothing personal, really. And you're such a sweet girl. Unfortunately, we needed someone with personal ties with him in order to lure him here. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, we wouldn't do such a thing, but the rage will make him more readily change. And, unfortunately, the ritual takes so much blood…"

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She didn't mind losing her life if it meant Gajeel would be safe, but it didn't. No matter what he'd come and try to save her. He'd fall right into the trap that they had laid for him, and she was the bait.

She would be the reason he would be forever turned into a mindless beast, like Achnologia.

And the last memory he'd have of her, besides seeing her dead on the stone altar, would be the senseless argument they'd had. She'd slapped him and run. She wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye.

She wouldn't have a chance to say she loved him.

"Shh…" he cooed silently, brushing the tears away from her cheeks with delicate fingers, "Don't be like that, dear. Just remember, it's a good cause,"


	20. Chapter 20

Gajeel didn't hesitate, didn't say a word to Jet or the other guild members when they'd assaulted him with questions. Speedy had told everyone at the guild while he had been sniffing out the silver bastard. He quickly realized that he'd covered his tracks. Teleportation magic was almost impossible to track and without being to pick up his scent – or lack thereof – and follow it, his best tracking supply was short. Not that he needed to track him, because for some reason he knew exactly where he was headed.

"Gajeel! Stop for two seconds, would you?!" Bunny girl was yelling at him, trying to get him to explain.

He turned on her, the look in his eyes stilling whatever was about to come out of her mouth, "I'm going after them. And so help me, I'll kill the bastard if there's a scratch on her,"

His words were surprisingly calm which might have been why everyone in the area suddenly stilled. Because in the calm there was a savage beast hiding in between his teeth, thrashing about and screaming for him to rip something to shreds. He was serious, fully and whole-heartedly serious.

He was going to kill him.

"I don't like this," Master Makarov murmured, his timeworn eyes reflecting his thoughts as he looked upon the Iron Mage, "There's something large at work here,"

"Don't try to stop me," Gajeel's voice was low and he grabbed a pack filled with iron that Mirajane kept behind the counter for when he needed it. He tied the pack to his waste and grabbed a canteen of water, turning and starting for the door.

"At least take Natsu with you," fear shone in Lucy's eyes, "At least until the rest of us can…"

"Natsu's not here," Gajeel's voice halted her and his angry red eyes raked across her soul.

"I'll go,"

Jet stepped up to him, strapping a canteen to his side as well. Gajeel's eyes gave him a measured look, studying the unwavering determination in his eyes.

"We'll go and try to save Levy," Jet turned to Makarov, "Meet us with Natsu and the others whenever you can. If you really think something big is going on, we'll need as much help as we can get."

Makarov was reluctant but let them go. As soon as Gajeel left the guild he started to sprint, putting as much force into his legs as possible. Jet activated his speed magic and kept pace easily.

"What's your plan?" Jet yelled, jumping up a dumpster and onto a housetop after him, "How are we going to find them?"

"I know where they are," he growled, his red eyes flashing as his hair whipped his shoulders, "They're outside of Shadowsage,"

"The village where Levy did the translations? How do you know?"

"I can feel it," he huffed, leaping onto the top of the train station. Jet followed him as they both dropped stealthily onto a train headed for the small town. Gajeel hated the thought of taking the train, but no matter which was he spun it, it would make the trip faster.

And he didn't have the time to waste.

"Three hours…" Gajeel said to himself, "Three hours and I'll be there, Levy. I swear to god, I'll be there,"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you can pick up their scent?" Jet's voice was worried and tired. They'd been running towards the caves where Levy had done the translations when Gajeel had suddenly stopped. At first he had wondered if the Dragon Slayer had finally stopped to catch his breath, but that wasn't the case. He had huffed for a moment, sniffing the air like and animal. Jet noticed the subtle changes in how he moved when his anger suddenly flared. It was as if he was slowly losing his humanity. His eyes flashed and narrowed more than usual as they flickered through the foliage in a predatory fashion, taking in subtle details that Jet could only hope to see. His iron scales, even though they weren't activated, were starting to form on his skin in certain places, protruding from his skin as if they were trying to break free from the human barrier.<p>

A growl snaked its way through the Slayer's lips and his canines flashed angrily in the dimming light.

"They're this way," he murmured and stalked quietly into the forest, not even making the slightest sound. After going a few paces, he hunched down low to the ground as he moved further, looking more like a giant stalking wolf than a man.

That's when Jet noticed familiar stone structures spiraling up towards the sky and a small form laying on the center altar.

"Levy!" he gasped.


	21. Chapter 21

Her captor smiled down at her, "He came for you,"

"What? No… No!" she tried to squirm free from her restraints even though she knew the effort was futile. Several hooded figures were congregated around her now, one standing in front of each towering pillar.

She heard loud, steady footfalls approaching and she thrashed wildly, feeling the ropes burn into her skin.

"Levy," his voice suddenly made her still, causing terror to clasp around her heart instead of relief. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was near and she twisted her head around frantically as she tried to spot him, "Levy, are you alright?"

"Gajeel! You need to get out of here! Run!"

Antoine's nose crinkled as he smiled widely, "Ah… Gajeel Redfox. So we meet again,"

"Let her go," why did his voice sound so animalistic? She could almost picture his face, eyes full of rage as he approached, "Or I'll kill you,"

"Come over here and get her, Dragon Slayer. Or does the magic circle not allow you?" Antoine's smile was confident and Levy watched as he drew a knife from within his cloak. The hilt was studded with brilliant rubies and a dragon's maw opened from the cold steel.

"Gajeel!" she screamed, feeling her stomach starting to tighten in fear, "Go! Now! Please!"

"Come and save her, Redfox," Antoine's voice was cool and he brought blade down onto her bare stomach. As he did so, the cloaked figures started chanting something quietly, their voices reverberating in the air as they droned out the ancient words. The metal was cool against her skin and he pushed the tip up to her breastbone.

"Gajeel!" her voice was pleading, begging him to listen to her, "Get out of here now!"

Gajeel growled, pacing around the edge of the bricked circle. Certain figures started to glow as the chanting started to pick up more fervor and the magic circle started to take form. His eyes widened in horror when he noticed the knife poised in Antoine's hand. He jumped forward only to come up short in front of the characters. He could feel something unnatural pulling at him, causing his scales to materialize without his full consent and his teeth and claws to grow even more.

The hesitation was his last.

Levy's scream suddenly broke through his concern and the thick scent of blood made his head snap towards the altar. The knife sliced through her skin with seemly no resistance and made a clean slice down her ribs to her navel. Blood was pouring down her flesh and over the cold stone and Levy's face was paled and contorted in pain. She struggled fruitlessly against her bonds as the fragrance filled the air with a metallic scent.

A sick, demented smile twisted across Antoine's face as it splashed against his cloak.

Gajeel charged, rage pumping through his veins as he entered the magic circle. Pain suddenly had him crashing to the ground.

"Gajeel! No!" Levy's voice was full of pain.

So much pain.

So much blood.

He pushed himself up against the unnatural contortions of his muscles and he looked at the mystified blue eyes that had turned to him.

"You're a dead man," Gajeel growled.

His voice was different, deeper and gruffer. Malice dripped from his words and he threw himself forward against the pain that was making his bones snap into strange positions.

_Save Levy. Save Levy. Save Levy. Save Levy…_

One swipe with his claws sent Antoine skittering across the rock with red splashing around him. Gajeel looked down to his hands, growing larger in size and now covered in Antoine's life force, and against everything he smiled. He leapt for him, marveling in his screams as he literally tore him to shreds. Strips of flesh fell from his scaled hands as he stood back up, his back arching as pain caused him to stop his attack.

He could feel and hear his bones snapping and growing. He fell forward, unable to remain standing on two legs as limbs he'd never owned before sprung from his body. Two wings, large and shimmering in the light of the magic circle protruded from his shoulders as a tail snaked between his legs, pointed like a spear on the end. His ears elongated and pointed, suddenly able to hear much more around him.

A need to kill, something he'd known before but not nearly as strong, consumed him and he lashed out. The only thing he came to recognize was the tangy scent of blood in the air and how it felt to tear flesh into dripping ribbons.

* * *

><p>Levy had tried to hold in the scream when the knife had cut into her flesh, but the pain was too much. She didn't want Gajeel to save her if it meant he'd be lost to the world forever. But when the knife had bitten her skin she'd screamed from the pain that was so intense it made her black out. She'd awoken to more screams. Screams of pain, screams of terror, screams to <em>stop<em>.

"Ga…jeel…" her eyesight was hazy and all she could see was the bluish glow from the magic circle. The chanting was vibrating in her head, making her dizzy.

She was bleeding out and she didn't know how she could process that thought but she did. She tried to pull up her arms to press down on the wound but they were restricted and she couldn't quite remember why. All she knew was she had to get Gajeel away because something terrible was happening and he'd be hurt.

She tilted her head to try and see him but all she saw was the shimmer of something silver prowling around her. It was feral and growling and then it was jumping out of her sight, causing more screams to come from where it had gone. She could hear the sick slicing sounds of the butchering of raw flesh and screaming. So much screaming.

So much screaming.

And blood.

She lolled her head to the other side when she heard the sound of branches and bushed moving. There were people coming. Were they reinforcements to get Gajeel? Were they there to rescue her?

"Dear god…"

"Is that… is that Gajeel?"

"Wendy! Help Levy! I'll get Gajeel,"

"Natsu, be careful. You don't know what he's capable of…"

"Levy! Levy, are you ok?"

Her vision was going. All she could make out were blurry shapes around her, calling to her, asking if she was ok. She tried to respond but her mouth was full of mud, so thick it was making it hard to breathe. Was she drowning?

"Hurry Wendy! Hurry!"

"I'm trying! I need Porlyusica!"

"She's coming but it's going to take a while…"

"Don't strain yourself, Wendy,"

Levy opened her mouth, the act borderline impossible for some reason, "Gaj…"

"Shh…" the voice was gentle but she couldn't recognize it, "You need to rest, Levy,"

"Gaj… eel…" she couldn't express the urgency she felt. They had to get him away. They had to…

"Levy, I'm so sorry," the voice was so far away. Were they going away? Were they leaving her? No, she couldn't be alone, "I want you to know I don't care, ok? You can be with Gajeel if you want, I don't care, ok? What we said… What I said… I'm sorry. I didn't mean it I was just upset. But you can't leave me, ok? You promised we'd be a team forever, remember? You won't break your promise, will you? You never break your promises…"

"Jet… she can't hear you…"

"Yes she can! Levy, please! Don't leave me! Please! You can't…!"

She tried to tell them she wasn't leaving; she didn't plan on going anywhere. If she could just get the choking mud out of her mouth she'd say so. But her vision was gone and their voices were so far away. Would they even be able to hear her if she said anything?

She was so tired from fighting. Why was she even fighting in the first place? She wasn't in danger. She could sleep.

For just an hour or so.

Yeah, and then she'd be fine.

Just.

Sleep…


	22. Chapter 22

There were things she couldn't understand.

Words were being said and actions were being done. Sometimes she just heard silence broken only by the shifting of weight in a chair or the shuffles of shoes before a door was closed. Sometimes she woke up and everything was fine. Other times there was yelling and calling for help.

_She's flat lining! _

_Why? She was fine just a minute ago. I thought she was stable?_

_Just hurry up with the solution!_

_That wound… it's just so deep…_

I'm fine. Don't worry. I feel fine…

* * *

><p>"I wrote another chapter on my novel, Levy. I can't wait for you to read it. You always gave me the best advice, you know. I tried to let Erza read it, since it's been so long. But she just said that adding racier parts in it would <em>'appeal to more audiences'<em>," a giggle like bells, "You were right about Erza liking romance novels after all,"

* * *

><p><em>"…The three stayed huddled under the tree, Rapunzel with her baby in her arms, and the prince laying with his head in her lap. Despite their reuniting, Rapunzel was sad. She'd never be able to see her prince's beautiful blue eyes again, nor would he be able to gaze upon his beautiful son's face. Quietly, so as not to alert her prince to her tears, she cried. Unbeknownst to her, her tears fell upon his sleeping eyes, causing a change to happen.<em>

_'Rapunzel…'_

_'Yes, my love?'_

_'I… I can see…'_

_Joy filled her being and they embraced, tears being shed freely between the two of them. Able to see, the prince took her and their son back to his grand palace where they lived happily ever after…"_

Pages fluttered and a book closed.

"Well, Levy, that's it for today. Droy and I are going on a mission today. Don't worry, though, it won't be too far away, so if anything happens we'll be back in a flash…"

_No… wait… _

"They're still looking for a cure, you know. It's been hard, though, without you to help. You always did the research when stuff like this happened. Lucy is trying, she really is, but she needs help. Wendy and Porlyusica say it won't be long until you're up and around again, though, so that's good. You really scared us, you know…"

_Jet… how long has it been?_

"It's strange. Natsu barely leaves Gajeel now. I think he's worried, you know? I mean… what if we can't…"

_Gajeel? What's wrong with Gajeel? What happened?_

She tried to move, something she hadn't tried to do in a long time. Her body had proved long ago that it wasn't ready to move, but she had to let him know she was awake. Somehow…

"I know what you'd say, Lev. You'd tell me not to think like that, right? You'd probably laugh at me. I used to hate him, remember? And now I'm just as worried as everyone else about him. I don't know what changed or when it did. Maybe it was the day everything happened. I saw a side of him I guess I just didn't know existed. He was terrified when I told him you'd been taken away. He didn't let it stay long, but for a moment, he was completely scared and broken. Then, he wasn't. He told me on the way to get you that he'd save you, that you'd be fine.

And you know what, he was right. He found you and was ready to give up everything to save you, whether he knew it or not. You were right when you said he'd changed. The Gajeel that joined Fairy Tail so long ago wouldn't have done anything like that; he was only looking after himself. I think I couldn't see past my own hurt, and then when you started spending time with him I refused to. I was jealous, and I'm sorry,"

She felt the air shift where he moved and then she felt a feather-light touch brush her forehead.

"We all miss you, Lev. Hurry up and wake up, ok?"

"You're… always… in a… hurry…" her voice was so quiet she almost didn't think she'd said the words.

"Wha… L-Levy? Levy!"

Her eyes fluttered open reluctantly, light making her close them back again. She could hear Jet rush out the door as she struggled to wake up. Voices started to shout excitedly and she could hear footsteps running down the hall. She opened her eyes again, this time to blurry outlines that finally started to come into view.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy chimed happily, "You're awake!"

"Hey guys…" she tried a small smile, pleased that she could actually feel the corners of her mouth turn upwards. Wendy, Charla, Porlyusica, and Lucy were also there. All of them were smiling around her and Lucy helped her to sit up.

"You had us worried sick," Wendy smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and thirsty," Levy choked, causing Wendy to rush for a glass of water for her. After consuming the heavenly liquid she felt so much better.

"So… what all do you remember?" Lucy asked, surprising the others in the room.

"She just woke up," Jet scolded.

"It's ok," Levy said quietly, looking over at her friend, "I don't remember much. Antoine knocked me out when he took me away and it wasn't long after I woke up that everything happened."

After explaining everything that had happened, she couldn't help but ask, "How is Gajeel? Is he ok?"

Everyone exchanged nervous glances, including Porlyusica. She furrowed her brow in worry.

"He's alive, Lev," Jet started.

"They… they turned him into a dragon…" she gasped, staring down at her hands, tears threatening to come.

"Not quite…"

"What do you mean?"


	23. Chapter 23

Levy's wound was healed enough for her to leave the hospital. She'd been out for two months and the lack of use to her muscles made her steps shaky and she had to stop several times on her way to the guild. Fear had her stomach doing flip-flops as she spotted the hall. Lucy had tried to talk to her, to update her on everything that had happen while she'd been gone, but Levy didn't hear any of it. When she came into the guildhall everyone had been excited, but their happiness was quelled almost immediately.

Master Makarov met her eyes only to nod to a door leading to the basement. Lucy took a hold of her friend's arm.

"Listen, Levy, if you don't feel up to this…"

"I'm going to see him," she said quietly, ignoring the worry in her friend's voice. She opened the door and walked down the stairs, the warmth of the hall above evaporating with the shutting of the door. As she came down the stair she immediately noticed large bars making up a cage, covered in fortifying magic and surrounded by runes to keep something inside.

"Levy,"

She looked over to see Natsu sitting against the wall outside the cage, rubbing his eyes as if he'd just woken up.

"You're awake," he grinned at her toothily and stood, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok," her voice was small and scared and he caught it immediately.

His smile faltered, "You here to see Gajeel?"

"Yeah,"

"He's asleep right now, but I'll wake him up. He may not recognize you at first but… well… I'm sure it'll be fine," he smiled largely again and walked up to the cage. When she stood frozen, he motioned for her to come closer and tapped a lacrima to light it, causing several more to illuminate the inside of the cage.

Her eyes widened.

"Gajeel, wake up. Levy's finally awake and came to see you," Natsu called, knocking on the bars.

A figure moved in the corner, all shimmering and silver. Two large, clawed hands spread forward and stretched like a cat's, causing the connecting body to arch. A long, metallic tail scraped against the stony ground as it whipped back and forth. Two wings, incredibly large and shining in the light, spread as he leaned on his haunches. Long black locks tumbled down his back and he ran his taloned fingers through them, tussling them into submission.

His red eyes turned to her, glistening like rubies but lacking understanding. They were completely feral, like an animal's. His lips pulled back slightly and revealing rows of sharp teeth and two long canines. Small spines protruded from his back and iron horns protruded from the sides of his face, just above pointed ears, and spiraling gently behind him.

His face was startlingly human even though the rest of him was a mesh of dragon and human parts. His legs were thick and strong and when he stood she could see all of his muscles ripple. He leaned over onto all fours and a long reptilian tongue stretched out to lap up some water that was placed in a large mug. She noticed a plate of raw meat and strips of iron.

Suddenly, she realized there was a collar around his neck that was attached to the wall behind him.

"Natsu…" Levy whispered, so quietly she could barely hear the words herself, "Why is he chained to the wall?"

Natsu had an almost pained look on his face at the question, "Everyone's scared of him. When we found him he… well… we had to take him down. When he came to, we couldn't get him to calm down, so we had to cage him up."

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long has he been like this?" she snapped, her voice rising.

Gajeel's eyes flickered their way and a growl came from his lips.

"Well… since he got here…"

"He's not an animal, Natsu!" she screeched, unable to contain the anger and remorse bubbling inside her, "He's a person!"

"I know that, Levy!" Natsu yelled, clenching his fists, "I've been trying to tell that to everyone!"

The growl got louder.

"Levy, you don't understand," Lucy said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "He wouldn't stop and then he went after Natsu and even Wendy! Natsu, he almost killed you when you tried to calm him down!"

"So if it had been me, you would have locked me up like this too?!" he yelled, turning on Lucy with a snarl.

"O-of course not…"

"Then why is he stuck in a cage, Lucy?!" he raged, his eyes burning, "Why are you treating him like some kind of monster?!"

"Because he is, Natsu! He can't control himself!"

Levy couldn't help the tears that were escaping from her eyes. She took one reluctant step and then two towards the cage. Gajeel's eyes flashed dangerously as they flickered towards her. Another growl came from him and he approached her, his tail lashing to the side.

"He's a dragon, Lucy! He _can_ control himself! He's just angry and confused!"

"How do you know that?! How do you know he's not just a dangerous killer?!"

"I understand him! He doesn't understand what happened to him! You said yourself that no one knows what magic like that could do to someone! He probably can't remember who he used to be, let alone who he is now!"

"Which still makes him dangerous!"

Levy curled her fingers around the cold metal bars. They had to be steel or platinum because he'd just eat through iron. He came as far as the chain would let him, stopping him a few feet away from the bars and he strained against it, raising himself onto his hind legs and pulling at his collar with his hands.

"I'm sorry…" Levy whispered, choking on a sob that had formed in her throat, "This is all my fault…"

He growled and thrashed against the chains, reaching for her. She slid to her knees, her legs no longer strong enough to hold her up.

"Why won't you guys just give him a chance to prove he's not what you think he is?!" Natsu's voice was breaking, filled with rage and hurt.

"Because he's killed people, Natsu! What would happen if he killed someone at the guild? Like Wendy, or you, or… Levy!"

Levy suddenly heard the creaking of metal being contorted and the sound of pieces hitting the ground. She felt a rush of wind and looked up just as two large, scaled arms extended through the bars and wrapped around her. His face tucked down, pressing his forehead against the bars where it would have otherwise rested on her shoulder.

"Don't… Cry…" his voice was deep and had a sound reminiscent of grinding metal, "Don't… Cry…"


	24. Chapter 24

Levy sat alongside Natsu in the basement, tomes and sheets of paper spread across the floor in waves. Gajeel was curled up next to the bars closest to her, his tail twitching agitatedly as he slept. His wings would slide against the bars with each lazy breath he took, producing a sound akin to bells.

"Do you ever think…" Natsu's voice cut their silence, uncharacteristically small and shaken, "that maybe… we can't turn him back?"

Levy swallowed hard, refusing to look at the pink-haired mage sitting beside her, "Of course we will. I just have to figure out how,"

They were silent for a while and Levy kept reading, trying to keep her mind off the sleeping beast beside her. Natsu's nervous chatter was hindering her progress, but she didn't have the heart to ask him to leave. He would have been his old laughing, joking self if things were different, maybe. But as things were, Gajeel hardly spoke and acted far more animal than human, which was strange because everything she'd read about dragons indicated that they were intelligent beings – a theory that was backed by Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel whenever they spoke about their adopted parents. So why was it that Gajeel was acting so much like a mindless animal and nothing like himself?

The only words that she'd heard him say, actually, the only words anyone had heard him say, was when he told her to stop crying. It was the most human thing he'd done since his transformation. But as it seemed, he barely understood his own actions and so once he'd released her, he'd slunk back into the corner of his cage. After Lucy had left, though, he'd curled up as close to her as possible, as if her presence made him feel better… or possibly more like himself?

"Natsu," Levy said, reading through a tome on reversing basic spells, "You said you could understand him?"

"Yeah, even though he's not speaking. Growls, roars, different body movements, it's like a second language," he watched her work intently, noticing how her eyes glanced over to the sleeping form in the cage.

"You said he's not dangerous?"

"…Mm… yeah…" his brow furrowed a bit and he looked down at his hands, "At least, I don't think he is,"

"No one's told me about how they found him," she said quietly, turning to look at him, curious eyes blazing, "What happened, Natsu?"

"Well… I mean…"

"Natsu. Please," Levy didn't know why, but she was fighting tears again.

She heard Gajeel shift beside her.

He was silent for a moment before releasing a nervous breath, "Jet came to get us at the station. He said we had to hurry, that Gajeel had found you and was trying to get you free. We all got there as soon as we could, but when we got closer I could smell blood. I thought that it might be yours and charged forward, only to have Jet pull me back. There was a giant magic circle and I felt weird… like I was changing… Lucy said it was because I wasn't in the circle that what happened to Gajeel didn't happen to me, but I could _feel _it…"

He gathered himself for a moment, staring at his hands, "And then the circle disappeared and I could smell even more blood than before. Gajeel… he… he was attacking the people. A few of them ran away, but some of them didn't make it. There was a man lying on the ground and at first I thought he was dead, but he moved, and then Gajeel went after him again. I tried to stop him…"

"How many people did he…?"

Natsu just shook his head, silencing her, "He started to calm down until Wendy got near you, to start healing you. He thought she was going to hurt you, so he started to attack her, but Gray and I kept him back. It took a lot, but we finally got him unconscious and took him and you back to the guild."

"And he didn't talk or say anything until I came down here?" she glanced over at Gajeel, his large red eyes were open and he was looking at her with mild interest.

"That's right,"

She looked at him for a while, measuring his calm appearance, seeing past it to the beast that was raging inside. Was he only subdued because of the magic barrier or was it because she was there? She stood, brushing her skirts and walking up to the bars. She could feel Natsu's stare at her back as she reached her hand cautiously through the bars to stroke his black hair. He let out a deep growl that made her pause in alarm before continuing.

"I'm going to let him out," she said finally, pulling up her resolve. She turned to look at Natsu and gage his reaction, "Will you help me?"

"I dunno, Levy…"

"Didn't you say you didn't think he was dangerous? He was just angry and confused when he was like that?" her voice was borderline accusing when she spoke and she immediately tried to hide it, "I mean… he's a dragon. He's not just an animal. He shouldn't be in a cage,"

He looked from her to Gajeel, who was now leaning back on his haunches and running his fingers through his air. He eyed the two of them, his mouth gleaming a light green color as his magic roiled in his stomach because of the disturbance. His tail thrashed agitatedly.

"Do you think you'd be able to get him back into the cage if… something happens?" Levy looked over at him, her brown eyes glistening.

"Eh… yeah,"

"Ok. Come on,"

* * *

><p>Natsu unlocked the door and gently swung it open. Levy stood before the door, just a few feet from the entrance. It had taken some doing, but she had dispelled the runes and the barrier, leaving only the locked door to contain the dragon inside. For a moment, Gajeel stayed hunched in the dark, his red eyes flickering in the dim light. Levy smiled gently at him, sharing a cautious look with Natsu before opening her arms.<p>

"Come on out, Gajeel," she smiled, "No one's going to keep you locked up anymore, ok?"

He eyed her steadily, his long tongue flickering out momentarily. A growl came from him, making her heart jump a few paces. She looked over at Natsu who only shook his head, a signal that it was still ok. First one, then two large clawed hands stepped forward followed by the glistening silver body. His tail thrashed about anxiously as he came forward, preferring to use four legs instead of two. His nostrils flared when he got to the entrance, just two large paces away from her.

"Well, come on," Levy smiled, tilting her head to the side.

He blinked for a moment and then raised himself up on two massive legs. She had to crane her head back to keep eye contact as he raised himself to his new full height, which seemed a full two heads taller than before his change. His tail and wings fanned out to help him keep his balance and he crossed half of the distance between them. His red eyes shone with curiosity as he stared down at her, a look so familiar it made her heart start to melt in her chest.

She couldn't help a sniffle, "You're still in there, aren't you, Gajeel? You remember me, right?"

The sound of the basement door opening made the three freeze for a brief moment, and suddenly Gajeel's eyes flashed angrily.

"Levy! Natsu! You guys still down here?" Erza's voice called along with the sound of her heavy footfalls on the steps.

A low, menacing growl came from Gajeel and his tail thrashed from side to side, hitting up against the cage door and sending Natsu onto his rear. His mouth started to glow green as the metal in his stomach boiled and suddenly Erza rounded the corner.

"G-Gajeel… Calm down…" Levy held her hands up and for a second, his eyes flicked back to her.

"Levy! Get away from him!" Erza shouted, lunging to pull Levy away.

"No! Wait!"

Gajeel let out a roar, knocking Levy to the side so hard the rolled onto the ground. She could hear more people coming down the stairs and Gajeel's talons scraped angrily against the ground.

"Someone, get Freed to rewrite the runes!"

"How did he get out?!"

"Where's Levy?!"

Levy pushed herself up onto her hands, staring in horror as her friends started to flood the basement. Erza had materialized a sword and was blocking a heavy slash from Gajeel's tail. He spun around, fanning out his wings to knock over Jet, Droy, and Lucy who had strayed too close.

"Stop!" Levy screamed, tears streaming down her face, "Stop it! All of you!"

Gajeel let out a roar so loud the foundation shook. Suddenly, Natsu jumped between him and Erza, his hands raised up as he desperately tried to calm down Gajeel and stop Erza from fighting him. Gajeel brought a taloned hand to rake across Natsu's chest, sending him spiraling into a concrete wall with four large gashes in his chest. Natsu gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself back up, his fists igniting as he charged.

"Gajeel!" Levy pleaded, despair making her voice crack, "Gajeel! Stop it!"

His body stiffened and he turned his head to look back at her, confusion clear in his bloody eyes. Then, a fiery fist connected with his face, making him stagger backwards and crash to the ground. Natsu stood over him, a look torn between anger and remorse on his face as Gajeel wheezed from the suddenly disorientation. Levy pulled herself up the wall, trying to balance herself on her feet and run to him.

Suddenly, he was back on his feet, his legs extending into a stance that was so very familiar. With a snarl he tilted his head back, cupping his two hands in front of his mouth as he took a massive breath.

"Gajeel! No!" Levy jumped in between him and Natsu, spreading her arms out to block the Iron Dragon's Roar that she knew was going to slice through her flesh. But she couldn't let him hit Natsu, or Erza, or Jet, or anyone! This was her fault and she had to make him stop!


	25. Chapter 25

Taking in a shaky breath, she waited for the pain to hit, but it never came. Instead, she heard a loud choking sound. She squinted her eyes open and then they widened as she gazed upon him. His lips were drawn back, revealing his long canines and his face was contorted as he bit back down the magic that had welled up in his chest and throat.

"Levy! Get away from there!" Erza yelled, brandishing her sword.

Gajeel bared his teeth at her, choking as a growl tried to make its way past the metal in his throat.

"No," Levy said quietly, reaching out a hand towards him, "He's fine. Everyone just needs to calm down,"

"Natsu! Grab her and get her outside," Jet yelled, his fists clenched.

"What? No…" Levy turned her eyes to him, "Just let me show you…"

"Natsu, take her upstairs, now," Erza repeated, looking at him pointedly, "That's an order,"

"No! Just let me-!" Levy couldn't finish when Natsu snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her away gently.

"I'm sorry, Levy,"

"No! Natsu! Don't!"

Everything suddenly seemed to happen impossibly slow.

Gajeel reared, letting out another massive growl, and charged. Natsu stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and releasing his hold on Levy in the process. Gajeel lashed out, sending Natsu careening into Erza and they both toppled to the ground. Jet, Droy, and Lucy sprung forward to grab Levy but Gajeel flared out his wings and slashed at them dangerously, making all three of them dodge out of the way. Levy hit the ground so hard her head cracked against the pavement and she saw stars just before two massive hands landed on either side of her. She let out a gasp and looked up to see Gajeel standing over her protectively, growling so loudly it made the air around them vibrate.

For a couple heartbeats there was just silence as everyone measured the situation.

"Gaj… eel…" she whispered, tears sliding down the sides of her face to dampen her hair, "Gajeel, stop,"

He was breathing heavily, the fight taking a toll on him. His arms and legs were shaking and his eyes were wild with fury. His ears twitched as he frantically tried to take stock of what was happening around him.

He was unsure and it was clear on his face.

His face that was so human and so _Gajeel_ that Levy couldn't help but reach her fingers up to touch the sides of it.

"Levy! Don't!" Erza cautioned, but she didn't notice, just pulled his face down so he'd meet her eyes.

"Shhh…" she said gently, letting her fingers stroke the sides of his face, "Calm down… just calm down…"

The rage in his eyes slowly began to lose its edge and melt away.

"You remember that evening we spent together under the trees?" she whispered, quiet sobs making her voice shake, "And you let me touch your scales for the first time? Because I do. I remember the look in your eyes, like you didn't want the moment to end,"

His breathing started to still, his breath falling across her face in cool puffs.

"Do you remember the song you wrote for me?" the tears were falling harder, obscuring her vision as she tried to take in his red eyes, "Remember how you were so scared of singing it? Do you know how happy I felt when I heard it? I didn't know it was for me at the time, but I knew it meant something very special to you, and I loved it even though it was possible it wasn't for me,"

She laughed, the sound bitter as she tried to contain the sadness welling up in her chest.

"Do you remember the morning you woke up and I was in your bed? You were so worried that you'd done something to hurt me. I didn't know you cared so much, but you were so scared and confused…"

She slid her fingers into his black tangles as they fell over his shoulder. She knew there were people in the room with her, but she didn't care. At this point it could've been just him and her in that room as she bared her heart to him, trying to calm the storm that was raging inside of him.

"Do you remember what you said? You said _'I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you again.'_" She trailed off, trying to compose herself as she continued, "I know you won't hurt me, Gajeel, because I know you. I know you more than I know myself. I see you still in there. The man I fell in love with is still there, he's just hiding from the pain and confusion because he doesn't know what to do…"

Large, heavy tears dropped from his eyes to wet down her blue curls and he bit his lip as he balled his taloned hands into fists.

"You're angry and hurt, Gajeel, but you're not a monster. You never were and you never will be. I'm here with you, you don't have to be angry or sad anymore, because I'm here, and I'll take it all away for you if you'll just let me,"

She felt hands scoop her off of the ground and cuddle her to his chest and he ducked his face into her neck. She felt impossibly small in his embrace, but she wrapped her arms around his thick, scaled neck and stroked his black locks.

"You're dead…" the voice was tiny and broken, sounding more like a cough than a man's voice.

"What?"

"I could smell the death on you. There was no way for you to live after that. I couldn't save you…"

"Yes you could. You saved me like you always do. I'm alive and fine because of you, Gajeel. It's ok…"

"You're alive…"

"Yes," she let a laugh slip out of her mouth, not quite sure why it came out in the first place, "I'm alive, Gajeel,"

Green light, vibrant and beautiful, stretched out around them as a magic circle started to take shape. Her eyes widened in amazement as the characters formed; foreign from anything she'd ever seen before. Then, she felt Gajeel's form start to shake and he gasped in pain as he began to change. His body started to shrink and she could hear the snapping of bones as his wings collapsed in on themselves along with his tail and disappear into the flesh of his back.

_Flesh._

His scales dissipated, leaving soft flesh to knit under her fingers. Then, as gently as it appeared, the magic circle and its light disappeared, leaving the two figures wrapped in each other's arms. Gajeel pulled back for a moment, his eyes foggy but full of recognition and understanding and lacking the feral animal that had been there before. A smile broke out on both of their faces and Gajeel pulled her into a crushing embrace before peppering her face with a million kisses.


	26. Chapter 26

Levy and Gajeel lay in his bed, holding each other like they thought the other would float off into oblivion if they released their grip. Gajeel kept breathing in her scent, tasting it on his tongue along with her lips, her tongue, her skin… He couldn't get enough of her, longed to have her a part of him in the most intimate way possible. She held onto him, tangling her fingers into his main as he buried his face into her neck, kissing the skin with impossible tenderness.

They were naked, enveloping each other in their own bodies. His touch was warm and gentle; so loving was each caress she thought she'd melt in his massive arms. He was everywhere, a part of her world and yet the entirety of it as they moved together in perfect synchronization. And his eyes were gorgeous things, twinkling in the dim moonlight that flitted through the window to land on their gentle forms.

"Levy…" his voice was barely more than a breath that left his lips as his lips met hers, searing her skin with their passion, "Levy, I love you…"

"I love you, too," her answer was immediate and sure, leaving no hesitation in her voice.

His hands were caressing her, his body covering her own. His arms were pulling her impossibly close, his knees spreading her legs to him. They were lust and love and desire and passion, all colliding under perfectly soft sheets. Every action that was made was made with an urgency to show as much love in as little time as possible while also drawing out their moments together for as long as they could prolong.

Everything was being shared under the gentle moonlight. All of the tears that they'd shed were being caressed away; all of the anger and remorse they had harbored was being kissed to oblivion. Scars, claws, skin, scales, all was of no consequence. What happened happened in beautiful, passionate waves that let each other know they were alive. Not only alive, they were together, and they would never be torn apart again.

Finally, with his teeth hot on her flesh and her breaths in short wisps they became one. His canines punctured her porcelain skin as they reached their heights, climbing a mountain together and bursting from the top with gasps and shaking limbs. She was clinging to him with as much strength as she had left while he kissed her so unbearably sweetly while she relished in their pleasure. He was her one and only and his heart was bared to hers in their gentle passion.

There was nothing in the world but the two of them, sharing their souls as if the next day they'd be torn from each other forever.

"Levy…" Gajeel broke their hot kiss, pulling back to gaze upon her flushed and shaking body. Pink tinged her the pale skin of her breasts, neck, and cheeks and he swore he never saw a sight so beautiful in the world, "I want you to know, I'm not perfect and I probably never will be. There are things I've done that I can't change and there are things I've done to you that I can never take back, but I found a reason to change who I was and to learn to be a better man. And I just want you to know… you're my reason, Levy. You're why I'm still alive today, and… I love you, Levy, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

A gentle smile came to her lips at the sight of her dragon being so flustered. Maybe the moment was just so beautiful or maybe it was his words, but she felt sweet tears start to heat the corners of her eyes.

She splayed her fingers against his chest and he brought a hand up to hold one of them while she pushed against him gently. He sat back on his heels, bringing her with him so she sat in his lap and she wrapped her legs around his waist, gasping when she felt him stiffen inside of her. She gave him feather-light kisses over his face and neck, causing him to let out quiet, breathy moans.

"Gajeel," she whispered into his neck.

"Mmh?" his voice was husky and he was running his fingers down her spine, raising gooseflesh down her skin.

"We have forever, don't we?"

"Eh?"

She smiled into his neck, a quiet laugh escaping her lips, "We can do this forever, can't we? You're never going to leave me, right?"

He chuckled low, "Didn't you hear a thing I said, love?"

_Love_. His new nickname for her sent shivers through her body.

"Forever, then," she smiled, pulling back to kiss him gently on the lips.

"Forever, then," he returned the kiss, laying her back down under him.

It was far into the night before they pulled apart from each other, only to lace each other back in their arms and rest, with quickened paces and breaths, under the moonlight. And despite everything that had happened to them, they knew everything would be ok, because they held the world just inches away on their fingertips. They would lay together, forever under the moonlight and be the other's reason.


End file.
